Trusting Scarlett (Part Seven)
by LadyBJKD
Summary: Seventh installment in the Scarlett Series. Spencer and Scarlett's lives would never be described as normal or quiet... Follow the continued story as they deal with working together and the dangers of their jobs, as they keep adapting to each other's personalities and then most of all, loving each other... Rated M for some chapters (Violence, Language, Sex)
1. Chapter 1

**Trusting Scarlett**

 **Seventh installment in the Scarlett Series. Spencer and Scarlett's lives would never be described as normal or quiet... Follow the continued story as they deal with working together and the dangers of their jobs, as they keep adapting to each other's personalities and then most of all, loving each other... Rated M for some chapters (Violence, Language, Sex)**

Chapter 1

The hallway shifted to the left where old wallpaper hung listlessly from the wall, showing years of neglect in the abandoned house. Scarlett fought the urge to sneeze due to the mold and dust that tickled her nose as she rounded another doorway, covering the room with her weapon raised.

"Clear!" she called out to the team, moving on to the other bedroom. Down the rickety staircase she heard Morgan's voice carry the same message.

"Clear!"

Her earpiece buzzed and she heard Reid's voice.

"He's gone out the back… Far right window from off of the porch roof! I've got a visual! I'll follow him!"

 _Crap_ … Scarlett pushed back against the stab of fear she felt in her chest as she ran into the back bedroom to follow the unsub. She had to duck back from the window when she heard shots firing into the room towards her attempted entry.

"Fuck!" she swore heavily, feeling her adrenaline pour through her as she quickly recovered, clearing her view first before trying again to follow.

"You alright?" Morgan's voice now echoed in her head.

"Fine! Get the bastard!" she shouted as she looked out over the roof. This time the man had completely dropped out of sight. Moving fast but cautiously she made her way from the window sill to track him herself.

As she slid towards the edge of the sagging roof, she felt it buckle slightly under her feet. Her eyes widened a bit and she stopped, stepping more slowly across it. Taking a deep breath, she judged the area below her carefully.

She steeled her spine against the height and searched below her. She could see Reid giving chase to the perp through the yard into a back alleyway… from her vantage point she had a clear view that the man had run into a dead end. Spencer couldn't tell from his angle that the unsub had turned to make a stand, raising his weapon against the next agent who would round the corner.

"REID! HOLD BACK!"

Scarlett raised her weapon and squeezed off two rounds in her clip in quick succession.

Spencer stopped in his tracks at the sound of Scarlett's warning call, throwing his back to the fence line. He heard the bark of the gun firing from in front of him, then more shots from overhead. Derek was beside him in a heartbeat, his own gun drawn.

"He's down and disarmed! But watch yourselves!" her call came over the com-link's to them. They both turned to look up towards the back roof where Scarlett stood on the edge, overlooking the scene below. Her weapon was still trained on the now downed figure of the man at the end of the alleyway.

"Quite an avenging angel you got on your shoulder kid," Morgan joked as they moved together to capture the serial killer.

Spencer grunted a response as he helped his brother in law try to haul up the now screaming man.

"I've been shot!" the man cried, holding his bleeding hand and his knee as he cowered down on the ground. Morgan kicked away the revolver that was lying uselessly on the pavement. She'd shot it out of his hand…

"Nice shots," Spencer said into his link at the shoulder of his vest. "We got him. He's going to need medical," he added. "GSW- Right wrist, left knee…"

"You're welcome," Scarlett's voice reached his ear in a cocky tone. He grinned at Morgan, shaking his head at her attitude.

"Good job everyone," Hotch's voice entered the connection. "We'll reconvene back at the station…"

Spencer turned at the sound of a loud cracking noise. He couldn't tell where it had come from- until he heard it once again along with Scarlett's scream.

He and Morgan watched horrified as the back porch roof- where Scarlett had just been standing- suddenly gave way, collapsing into itself and taking her down with it.

"KATY!" Spencer screamed her name into the link as he ran back to the debris. Morgan followed behind him, shouting orders to the locals to keep the prisoner covered, even as some medics came around the corner.

"What happened?!" the voice traffic that buzzed through the com-link came in all at once. Reid ignored it as he dug through some of the rotted wooden planks that were on top of the pile.

"Where did she go down?" he heard Derek yelling at him over the roar in his ears. He kept pulling some of the larger boards away in the area where his mind kept seeing Scarlett fall. He saw Morgan lift away one of the larger posts and the entire field began to shift…

"Stop!" he told him, stepping carefully over to the side. "The rest may fall on top of her!"

Seconds later, he felt an arm grab him away from the wreckage and he swung out wildly.

"Let me go! I've got to get to her!" he connected a fist to someone's face and an elbow into another's ribs.

"Reid! REID! Knock it off!" Morgan yelled into his face as he shook his friend's shoulders. Spencer twisted once more, trying to get back to the area.

"Let them do their job!" Rossi's face now came into his view. Spencer startled, stepping back a bit as he panted heavily. _Rossi was back at the station_ … he thought wildly. _How was he here?_

"Ease back, Spence… Let the firefighters get in there- They have the equipment to get her out," JJ tugged on his arm, pulling him further away from the site.

He looked confused for a minute, searching JJ's eyes. _How was she on scene?_

"It'll be okay, just let them do their job," she tried reassuring him, rubbing his arm as she lead him back another step.

"That's it… Let the medics look at your hands, please," she asked him.

Spencer noticed now the blood that was covering his palms. He looked from them to JJ again, disbelief evident in his eyes. She met the concerned look of one of the medics.

"He's in shock…" the EMT stated. Spencer heard the words as if from the back of a tunnel. He looked over JJ's shoulder over to where the lights were flashing off of the local fire trucks…

"When… how- did they get here?" he asked, looking back to JJ. Her face showed sorrow and concern.

He didn't want to see the sorrow and turned his head, looking back towards the rubble.

"It's okay, Reid… the locals called them in when they saw the collapse… they have tools- they will get to her…" she watched his eyes closely and saw his pupils were dilated, a clear sign of shock.

"How long," he asked, flinching as the medic pulled a piece of glass from his hand. The pain brought him around a bit and he grasped at it.

 _Pain was good_ , his mind thought. Pain was in the now… instead of seeing his life flashing before his eyes…

"How long JJ!" he snapped, his voice rough with fear…

"It's been about twenty minutes, Spence, since we lost communication…" she answered softly.

She saw his face tense and he looked down at his watch. Twenty minutes… he had no recollection of the last twenty minutes…

"Where's Derek?!" the last thing he remembered was Morgan shifting the support post, before he blacked out…

"He's right there…" JJ pointed over towards the edge of the firetruck- he could see now where his brother stood, his back bathed in the flashing lights against the darkening sky. He stood up to go to his side…

"Dr. Reid- we have to…" the medic tried to pull him back but Spencer sent the woman a scathing glance that silenced her plea.

JJ touched the woman's shoulder. "It's… okay- let him go… the agent who is trapped- it is his wife…" she told her quietly.

The technician lowered her hand from Spencer's arm and released a sharp breath. She looked at JJ.

"I'm sorry…"

The words followed Reid with a chill as he moved steadily towards the edge of the scene.

Morgan turned when he felt someone at his side. He saw Reid's stricken face and held his breath.

"She's fine…" Derek forced the words out of his tightened jaw, looking back over where the men were scrambling to lift more of the pieces off of where he'd last seen his sister.

"She's fine," he repeated.

Spencer nodded, licking his lips and trying to swallow the lump in his throat. He couldn't speak- couldn't find the words. His hands clenched and he felt the pain rush over him, and welcomed it. They watched together in silence as Reid felt time click away…

"We got something- over here!"

They both jumped forward at the call, moving towards the area where some of the responders had started lifting pieces in earnest. Two other men had started shoring up a section of the roof with braces.

"Get back!" another man shouted at them, pushing them back to the edge of the scene.

"Get the back board over here!"

Spencer felt hands on his shoulders, turning him away roughly. He readied himself to fight whoever dared try to hold him back.

"Reid!" Hotch's voice stopped him. "Let them do their jobs!" Aaron said firmly but quietly. He held his gaze locked with Reid's.

Spencer shifted his eyes slightly, seeing Rossi standing in very much the same position with Derek. He swallowed thickly and nodded at Hotch.

They watched as the paramedics worked alongside the firefighters to move Scarlett's limp body onto the transfer board.

"Go!" some of the medics shouted, pushing the board up and out over the wreckage. Several others surrounded them as they moved towards the ambulance.

Spencer stood rooted to the spot, unable to move. Hotch shoved him slightly, snapping him out of his shock.

He squeezed his hands again, letting the pain roll up his arm, making him suck in a breath as he ran to follow the medical team.

He felt Morgan reach his side as they both watched them working in a rush over Scarlett. Spencer's eyes locked onto her face.

"Scarlett!" he called out her name, pushing toward the litter.

"We're taking her to Saint Vincent's Trauma Center over on Fourth…" one of the medics told them. "You can meet us there!"

Spencer stopped in his tracks, seeing that they needed all the room in the small area in the back of the ambulance to continue working on her. One of the medics was leaning over her now, obstructing his view.

"Let's go…" Rossi grabbed Reid's arm, dragging him back towards where they'd left the SUV.

Spencer let himself be pulled away as the medical team closed the doors and the sirens started to wail into the night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Spencer paced the hallway of the emergency room, flexing his bandaged hands. He looked down and saw the tinge of blood marring the white of the gauze. He'd already broken some of the stitches- he'd felt them rip about ten minutes after they'd put them in… but the pain was helping him stay focused.

Lifting a shaking hand, he scrubbed at his face, shoving his hair off his forehead.

Morgan stretched his legs out in front of the seat, watching the doors where they had taken Scarlett. He kept waiting for someone to walk through with any information. The other's had taken similar stances along the waiting room. When the doors finally re-opened, they all turned towards the sound.

"Dr. Reid?"

"Right here," Spencer stepped towards the man outfitted in scrubs. He fisted his hands tightly, letting the pain fuel his adrenaline and met the man's eyes.

"How is my wife?" he asked.

"She hasn't regained consciousness yet," the doctor informed him. "She has a broken arm and wrist, two broken ribs and several contusions across her back and some deeper cuts that required stitches. She has a wound to her upper arm- a bullet grazed her at some point, not incurred in the collapse…"

Spencer heard Scarlett's voice replay in his head… ' _Fine- get the bastard!'_ she'd said after the unsub had fired at her. He scowled. She'd taken a fucking bullet and he hadn't even known.

"The fact that she hasn't woken up yet gives us some concern with the concussion… But there were no internal injuries… so we have upgraded her condition."

Spencer clenched his fist as he asked the next question.

"And our baby?"

"We want to perform an ultrasound- but we were able to hear the heartbeat over the monitor, and could feel movement with hand palpitation… the baby appears to be fine…"

Reid felt his legs go weak.

"When can we see her?" Morgan's voice came from his side. Derek grabbed his brother under the arm, holding him up.

The doctor eyed up the team standing before him.

"We'd prefer to keep the visitors to a minimum…" he mentioned.

"I'm going to her," Spencer squared his shoulders as if daring the man to say otherwise.

"We make the exception for family members…" the doctor met Reid's eyes with compassion. "Of course you can stay, Dr. Reid…"

"And her brother," Spencer said, nodding to Morgan. "Scarlett would want her brother to stay…"

"Absolutely- I can take you back in a moment- they are finishing up some tests…"

Spencer blew out a tense breath and nodded. He looked over at Hotch.

"We'll take care of things on our end. You two stay."

Derek nodded, following the doctor along with Reid down the hall to Scarlett's room.

Spencer stopped in the doorway, his feet refusing to take him any further as he looked over the monitors and wires that were connected to Scarlett. He scanned them quickly, his mind trapping each reading permanently into his brain. He sighed, squeezing his hands once again, letting the pain help move him forward.

"How many times are you going to do this to me, crazy girl?" he asked her as he came to the side of the bed, trying to keep his voice in a teasing tone. He looked down on her face, brushing some of her hair off her head and back over the bandages that covered part of her head.

Derek watched his brother in law lean over Scarlett, kissing her forehead lightly, resting his other hand over their baby. He noticed the red stain on the bandages on the palm of Spencer's hand as he moved it across Scarlett's abdomen.

"Reid. You are bleeding again," he told his friend. Spencer only shrugged, pulling a chair closer to sit alongside the bed. Morgan sighed, pulling up another seat to start their vigil.

Spencer lowered the railing from the bedside and sat as close as he could get to Scarlett's side. He held her hand between his, stroking her fingers softly.

"You know, baby girl… I'm getting pretty tired of sitting in hospitals. For someone who claims to hate them so much, you really need to stop ending up here…" Morgan picked up the cue from Reid and sat to her other side, talking to Scarlett, keeping the conversation light.

"I think she secretly enjoys the attention," Reid claimed, giving his voice a purposefully snarky cadence. He felt her hand twitch in his and looked over at Morgan.

Derek noticed the movement. He patted his sister's shoulder, avoiding the cast and bandages.

"Of course she does… even from when she was a little girl, she was always causing trouble… I can't even begin to tell you how many times I've had to save her ass… or cover for her with Mom…" he grinned.

"Did she ever tell you about the time she snuck out of her bedroom window? Miss Thang here thought she could shimmy down the rain gutter like she saw in the movies… Ended up in the ER with a busted shoulder… and _I_ got to spend the entire weekend rehanging Mom's gutter system…" he scowled at her. "Trouble maker…"

Reid laughed in spite of himself. "Where was she sneaking out to?" he asked.

"Some of her 'friends'," Morgan made air quotes around the word, "were having a drinking party. Mom knew they were trouble and had forbidden her to go…"

"Which meant, of course, she had to go…" Spencer supplied with a smirk, squeezing her hand again.

"Of course, hence, troublemaker…" Derek teased. "So anyway, in all her teenaged defiance and glory- Katy bird shimmied out the window, tearing out the downspout and half the gutter from the roof… the noise woke up Mom- and half the neighbors… We found her lying in the grass, laughing like a lunatic. Mom thought she'd already been drinking…"

"How old is 'teen aged'?" Reid asked, thinking of Norie…

"Ah, the ripe old age of fourteen… our Scarlett was an early delinquent…"

Spencer shook his head, unable to recall what he'd been doing himself at fourteen… He looked back down at Scarlett's face and saw her eyes flutter.

"So while I was in college, you were racking up a record," Spencer said to Scarlett directly, making a sound of disapproval. "I'm surprised you made it into the academy…"

He watched her eyes open slightly to scowl at him and he grinned hugely. Morgan let out a sigh of relief, raising his eyes towards heaven, and then closing them in a wordless prayer of thanks.

"I warned you that I was a bad influence," Scarlett managed to whisper out the words. Her voice sounded rough to her own ears and it hurt to breathe deeply. She turned her head slightly to look at Spencer, not able to remember what happened. She took a few more moments as she watched his eyes, using them to center herself.

"And I _was_ coming back from the party," she continued, now looking over at her brother. "So Mama was right, as always. I was drunk…" her scowl deepened as she looked around the room in confusion. Her breathing began to turn shallow when she tried to sit up.

"But being able to purposely dislocate my shoulder from then on has benefitted me more than once. So everything happens for a reason," she shot back at Derek.

Spencer moved into her line of vision, resting his hands to her shoulders, settling her back down before she hurt herself.

"Hello, girl…" he said quietly, his voice husky with unshed tears.

"Hello, boy…" she responded. She laid her hand across her stomach.

"The baby?" she asked, closing her eyes tightly, afraid to hear his response.

"Is fine…" he reassured her, covering her hand with his own. Even as he did, they felt it give a healthy kick and Scarlett sighed.

"Thank you God and Goddess," she said softly. She tried to reach for her brother and found she couldn't move her arm. Looking down she saw the cast covering her hand to her elbow.

"Ugh. What did I do this time?" she asked, laying her head back against the pillow and closing her eyes.

"Fell through a fucking roof, you little pain in my ass…" Derek stated glibly, taking her fingers carefully in his hand when he saw her try to reach for him.

"I'm going to insist you stop scaring years off my life, crazy girl. I did have plans for them," Spencer told her. Scarlett met his gaze and saw the tears in his eyes.

"I'm not going anywhere, farm boy," she told him, reaching her good hand up to touch his cheek. "I'm not done with you yet…" she said, brushing a tear from his cheek bone.

Morgan leaned over as he stood, kissing her temple. "I'm going to go snag the nurse, let her know you are awake, Katy bird. Don't close your eyes again…" he told her.

"I won't let her," Spencer answered for her, keeping his hazel gaze locked on to her green one. Scarlett continued to stroke his cheek and he kissed the palm of her hand.

"What are the total damages?" she asked him, lifting her arm slightly, eyeing up the cast.

Spencer huffed out a breath, leaning over her so he could watch her face more closely.

"Concussion… you were out cold for ninety three minutes and forty seven seconds," he told her matter-of-factly. "That doesn't include from the time you fell through, if you were knocked out immediately- or the time it took them to dig you out… The entire fucking roof and a part of the back wall fell in on you," he frowned, the memory of the sight forever branded on his psyche. He shuddered a bit.

"I don't remember anything after feeling it drop out from under me…"

He saw her scowl again and kissed her nose. "God, how I love your expressive face," he breathed out in relief, studying her intently. Scarlett touched her lips back to his.

"I'm okay Spence," she reminded him, seeing the tears in his eyes again.

"I know. I just…" he took a steading breath and kissed her once more.

"Okay," he cleared his throat. "Uh- you broke your arm and your wrist," he indicated the cast. "Two ribs," he said, pulling the sheet down to look over the bandages there.

"The doctor said you had bruising and cuts on your back- I haven't seen it yet…" he tried to stop her when she pulled forward in the bed. "No- Katy, don't move, just wait…"

"Just tell me how bad it is, farm boy," she asked, leaning forward so he could look over her back.

Spencer studied the purple bruising across her back along with welts and scratches that rode her skin. Two areas had suture glue holding the smaller cuts together while stitches held the skin around the deeper lacerations that had torn into the muscle…

He breathed in deeply seeing the worst bruising was around the area bandaged to cover the broken ribs, and a pattern caught in his mind.

"You don't remember falling?" he asked her as he helped her lean back into the pillows again carefully.

"Not really… I sort of recall hearing the porch giving out- I remember trying to grab the window sill… but before that, I just remember taking down the asshole who was shooting for you…" she smirked a bit.

Spencer scrubbed his face roughly. "Yeah- you got him… he got a piece of you too… You didn't even tell us," he scowled at her as he touched the bandage on her upper arm.

"The doctor said you'd been grazed…" he looked in her eyes.

Scarlett held his gaze. "I didn't even feel it, Spence. I didn't know. Probably once the adrenaline wore off, but right then? I didn't know," she promised him.

He bit his lips together, studying her face. "I don't think I like the fact you could 'not know' you took a bullet, Katy," he frowned.

"I didn't 'take a bullet', Spencer. I was grazed. Completely different…" she wrinkled her nose at him. "It's just a flesh wound!" she teased, quoting Monty Python.

Reid rolled his eyes. "You. You are killing me…" he smiled a little at her cheeky grin, kissing the back of her hand.

She opened her fingers, resting her palm against his cheek. Spencer leaned into her touch, closing his eyes as he felt her stroke his skin. A shuddering sigh wracked through him.

"So the back isn't a total mess?" she asked him, changing the subject back to her injuries. "Nothing that'll keep me down long, I hope?"

"Uh, you? Probably not," he shook his head, looking into her eyes once more. "It actually…" he choked up a little… Scarlett ran her hand along his jaw, trying to soothe him. He swallowed roughly against his emotions, furrowing his brow as he cleared his throat before trying again.

"It looks like you curled over the baby, taking most of the blow to your back and arms… and head. Most people would have instinctually covered their heads, Katy Scarlett," he told her.

Scarlett watched his face closely, continuing to trail her fingers over his cheek. "I protected the baby… It's a mother's prerogative," she told him softly, sort of recalling the thought she'd had to cover her stomach as she fell. She was beginning to remember.

"Spence…"

She shifted over in the bed, making room him to sit alongside her. Spencer moved onto the space, leaned over to her, burying his face into her neck. She felt his breathing stutter slightly as he sobbed against her and felt his tears on her skin.

"It's okay, shh… I'm fine, boy. I'm right here…" she crooned softly, kissing his forehead, letting him empty out his fears for a bit. Pushing back the hair from his face, she kissed his cheek.

"I'm still right here…"

"I know… I just…" he took a hesitant breath, pulling away, wiping at his face. Scarlett noticed the blood on his bandaged hands.

"You were hurt?" she asked, taking his hands in hers, turning them palms up. She could see the red stains covering the sterile pads.

"Not really- some stitches, they are just in a bad place and keep tearing," he stated flatly, unconcerned with the pain.

"Mmm-hmm," Scarlett frowned over the damage, meeting his eyes. He scowled back at her.

"It's just a flesh wound," he threw back at her, anticipating her argument. Scarlett rolled her eyes with a huff.

Morgan reentered the room at that moment, cutting off their conversation. Scarlett took Spencer's hands gently in hers, looking behind her brother to the doctor who followed him…

"When can I go home?" she asked. Spencer groaned.

"Katy… behave," he pleaded and heard her sigh.

"Fine," she breathed out the word, becoming annoyed at the repetitiveness of this conversation. She really did have to try harder to stay out of hospitals.

"Dr. Reid needs someone to check on his hands," she turned the conversation around on him. "He's seems to have torn his stitches," she told them, glaring at Spencer's low growl.

"I'm fine," he groused, fisting his hands together.

"You are bleeding," she argued, correcting him.

The doctor looked between the couple.

"I'll have someone come in to look at the stitches," he offered, earning a grin from Scarlett.

Another hospital staff member came into the room, pushing an ultrasound machine in with him.

Scarlett met Reid's gaze with fear in her eyes.

"You said the baby was fine…"

Spencer grasped her hands that she'd protectively moved over her stomach.

"The baby _is_ fine," he reassured her, rubbing his thumbs across her fingers. "They want to double check, that's all…"

Reid felt her fingers tighten their grip against his as her hands shook.

"Okay," she swallowed down the tight fear that had clawed its way into her throat. "Okay…"

The doctor added his reassurance. "There are no signs of any problem. We're just going to take a quick look …"

Morgan moved over to Scarlett's side, angling a view at the monitor. She felt her brother's hand at her shoulder, offering his support with a squeeze. She leaned her cheek onto the back of his hand, closing her eyes, trying to regulate her worries to a corner of her mind.

"Katy…" she heard Spencer's soft voice call her name. She opened her eyes again to look at him, seeing the tenseness on his face.

"Keep your eyes open, beautiful… please," he asked her.

"I…" he shook his head and huffed out a tense breath, trying to find the words he wanted to say.

"You still have a concussion… and you wouldn't, you couldn't wake up before… So, just, please…" he asked again, swallowing against the lump in his throat. "Stay…"

Scarlett nodded, hearing his concern. "I will, farm boy. I'll stay with you…"

Reid took her hand, lifting it to his lips to kiss her knuckles softly. He turned his gaze from hers to the monitor when the tech started to run the wand over Scarlett's abdomen.

"You said the baby's due October thirty first, correct?" the doctor asked, reviewing the screen from over the tech's shoulder.

"Yes…" Spencer responded, still watching for himself as the images appeared.

"We actually are scheduled for our OB appointment next week," Scarlett offered.

"Twenty week follow up?" the doctor asked.

"Yes," they answered in unison.

The doctor nodded. "Well, everything looks more than fine," he told them as the technician clicked along some images.

"The fall didn't cause any damage to the fetus, placenta or the amniotic fluid. Everything looks perfectly fine," he smiled at Scarlett when she released her pent up breath.

Reid squeezed her hand tightly as he felt it tremble in his once again.

"Everything is okay, crazy girl…"

Scarlett nodded, looking from his face back to the screen. She felt the baby move and saw it clearly on the monitor. She reached down, resting her hand with Spencer's onto her stomach.

"Hello baby…" she said softly.

"It seems like he's very healthy and active," the doctor told them.

Morgan raised a brow as he saw both Reid and Scarlett look to the doctor.

"He?" Derek grinned. "I'm getting a nephew this time?"

The doctor looked at them. "Do you want to know the sex?" he asked.

Spencer met Scarlett's eyes, holding them with the question.

"Um, yeah- if you can tell for sure… we want to know…" he responded, reading Scarlett's unspoken response.

The technician grinned. "Well, it isn't difficult to tell… your son is very active," he told them. He clicked a few buttons on the machine and froze the image there.

"And he's not being shy," the doctor agreed with a smile. "Definitely a boy…"

Spencer felt his heart speed up in his chest. A son…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Reid shifted slightly in his sleep, his feet kicking the armrest of the seat. Scarlett looked down at him from her book, setting her hand to his hair to stroke him gently. A soft smile played across her lips as she watched him sigh at her touch.

"You aren't sleeping, Red?" Dave moved to sit across from her, handing her a bottle of water.

She shrugged. "I'm not tired… mostly just anxious to get the hell home…" she told him, setting down her book to uncap the water. "Thanks," she said as she took a drink.

"You're picking out names?" Rossi asked, indicating the book at her side. The title read 'Popular Names for Boys and Girls'.

Scarlett grinned. "Trying to… It's amazing how many names bring up thoughts of unsubs or serial killers…" she shook her head. "We've already crossed out a bunch…"

"Yeah, that'll happen in this line of work. I was certain you'd be pushing for Rhett, Katy Scarlett," he teased her.

"Oh, God, no…" she laughed in earnest. "No Ashley or Clark either," she admitted. "We want something strong, something that will be ' _his'_ , ya know? Spence doesn't even want a junior… although that was my first choice," she admitted.

"I understand. Junior always seemed a bit self-serving in my opinion," Rossi agreed with Reid. "I think a name should be a kid's own…"

Scarlett sighed. "I know- that was Spencer's argument, too. It would have made it easier though," she said.

Dave smiled; a devilish glint in his eyes.

"Since when do you like 'easier'?" he asked.

"Point taken," she met his grin with one of her own, shifting slightly in the seat. Spencer moved with her, opening his eyes slightly.

"Are we home yet?" he asked, his voice heavy with sleep.

"Shh. Not yet," Scarlett giggled at his words. "Go back to sleep, sweet boy…" she told him, running her fingers through his hair. Spencer turned, moving his head onto her lap, pressing his cheek against her stomach and she felt the baby kick him. He scooted closer, laying his hand alongside his face to touch her belly.

"You have to share," he mumbled, talking to the baby. Scarlett chuckled, turning her attention back to Dave.

"Do you have any suggestions for names?" she asked him, catching the soft look on their friend's face.

"Just the usual… I can't say I am very imaginative in that department," Rossi covered up the look with a teasing grin.

"I don't think we are looking for anything too different, either. Just, not common…" she rolled her eyes at herself.

"You know what I mean," she said.

Dave reached over and patted the part of her knee that wasn't covered by Reid's head.

"You two will figure it out," he smiled. "It'll come to you and when you hear it, you'll just know…" he offered.

"Try to get some rest," he said as he turned in his own seat. "Maybe you'll dream of a name…"

Scarlett set her head back against the cushion, closing her eyes. "Maybe," she agreed as she let herself drift off.

She'd just started dreaming… feeling herself falling- when…

"Scarlett… hey, come on crazy girl… we're home."

She heard Spencer's voice calling her and opened her eyes. The others were already grabbing their go bags from the overhead, exiting the plane. She stretched, or tried to, wincing when her arm throbbed from the movement.

"Are you okay?" Reid asked in concern when he saw her face grimace.

"Yeah, I just moved the wrong way…" she glared at the cast on her arm.

"Six weeks," Spencer said, noticing the look. "It'll go by fast…"

"Ugh, says you," she complained, hating the ungainly thing already.

Spencer rolled his eyes, taking her by the good arm to help her stand.

"Come on, darling. Let's go get Norie. Morgan is on the phone with Penny already. They are waiting for us…"

That perked Scarlett's mood up a notch. She followed him off the plane to the waiting SUV. Sliding in beside Morgan, she nudged him when she saw he was still on the phone.

"Yeah… we've landed- see you soon baby girl… Tell Norie not to worry, Scarlett is fine… she'll see for herself in a few minutes… Okay? Alright, love you too…" he disconnected the call and looked down at his sister.

"Your girl is bouncing off the walls, wanting to check you out for herself. I think you two have a future second Dr. Reid on your hands- this one of the MD sort…" he chuckled. "Penny said she hacked into your medical records to look over all your charts and tests herself…" he mentioned in a quieter tone.

"Oh, boy…" Scarlett looked over at Spencer. "I thought we talked to her about that sort of thing."

Reid shook his head. "I don't blame her- I would have done the same if I could have," he responded. "And you know Pens would have made certain she didn't do anything that could have gotten her in trouble…" he added.

"I know- I just hate thinking she was that worried," Scarlett scowled.

"I'm sure she worried less after seeing for herself that everything was okay- which is why Penelope probably allowed it," Derek reminded her.

"You are right," Scarlett sighed. "You're both right…"

They pulled up in front of Garcia's apartment building within the half hour. Scarlett saw the front doors open as Norie ran down the sidewalk to the gate, throwing it open, continuing her run without missing a step.

Reid caught her mid-leap in a one armed swing. Norie wrapped her arms around his neck.

"Daddy! I missed you! I missed both of you so much!" she told him as she hung on.

"Missed you too, baby…" he hugged her back, adjusting her slightly to get a better grip on her waist. He turned with her in his arms to open the car door for Scarlett.

Norie eyed up the cast that covered Scarlett's arm from wrist to elbow, then the bandage on her upper arm. She looked from it to Scarlett's eyes in just a quick moment.

"Does it hurt, Mommy?" she asked in concern, her voice tight.

"Just a little, sweetie… I'm okay though…" Scarlett told the little girl. "I can't lift you, but I could use a hug," she said, opening her arms in invitation.

Norie hopped down from Spencer's waist, moving into Scarlett's embrace. She gently hugged her around her neck, avoiding her back and ribs.

"I've got the kitties all loaded up, we are ready to go home," Norie said, pulling back to look into Scarlett's eyes.

"That sounds like a plan… it's been a long week. I'm looking forward to home," Scarlett smiled at her daughter.

Penelope came out of the door carrying Norie's bag along with the carrier for the cats. Morgan took the cats from her, setting them into the vehicle. After a few hugs and kisses along with the good-byes, Spencer slid into the driver's seat, turning the SUV towards their place.

Norie pulled herself forward in her seat, leaning over Scarlett's shoulder.

"I looked at the hospital records, Mom…" she said, blushing slightly. "I hope you aren't mad that I was spying on you- but I wanted to see for myself that you were okay…"

Scarlett turned so she met the girl's eyes. "Neither Daddy nor I would ever lie to you baby…"

"I know! I just- I wanted to see," she stressed. "You're not mad?" she asked again, seeing the soft look in Scarlett's eyes.

"No sweetheart, we aren't mad. We just don't want you to do anything that may get you into trouble… so no hacking, okay?"

"At all?" the girl pouted slightly.

"At all…" Spencer added his warning to Scarlett's. "Ask Aunt Penny one day to tell you about the trouble you could get in…"

Norie's frown deepened into a scowl. "They'd have to catch me first…" she said, her voice dripping in sarcasm. Scarlett arched a brow at the attitude.

"Noreen Catherine Reid…" Scarlett's tone made Norie's cocky look turn sheepish.

"Sorry! Sorry! I promise… no more hacking… umm, unless it's a life and death emergency…" she added the caveat.

Spencer sighed. "If it's really truly life and death, we'll agree. If it's not- you'll be grounded from anything electronic for a month…"

"A month!" Norie squeaked, horror covering her face.

"A month," Scarlett agreed with Spencer. "Understood?"

"Yes, Mom…" Norie let out a long suffering sigh, and then brightened.

"But- I'm having a brother!" she announced, admitting she'd also seen the ultrasound results.

Spencer caught Scarlett's stifled grin and quickly tried to cover his own.

"Yep- you're going to have a baby brother," he told her, catching her eyes in the mirror. He maneuvered the bulky SUV into the parking lot for their apartment. Norie jumped out of the backseat, waving him away.

"You help Mommy," she told him. "I got this…"

Reid watched her lift the carrier, grabbing the bags with her other hand in ease, so he moved to help Scarlett instead.

"I'm not an invalid," she warned them as she pulled herself from the seat. "Just… uncomfortable at the moment," she sighed, leaning against Spencer for a moment before taking the stairs.

"I got the mail," Norie called over to them once they got into the vestibule. She pulled out her keys to collect the envelopes from their box.

"Aunt Penny grabbed the rest, through the week- it's on the kitchen counter," she told them as she ran up the stairs, passing them easily.

"Show off," Scarlett teased, slightly winded, unable to take deep breaths because of the broken ribs. Spencer looked down at her, watching her when he heard her labored breathing.

"Don't start Reid," she warned him. "I am fine, just sore. I'll be better when we get inside."

He nodded, pressing his lips together. "If you are in pain, the doctor gave you pills…" he reminded her.

"I'm not taking narcotics while I'm pregnant, Spence. I already told you that," she stopped at the first floor landing to take a breath.

"I can handle the pain, farm boy…"

"That doesn't mean I have to be okay with it," he frowned, looking up the stairs.

Before she could complain, he scooped her up against his chest, carrying her up the rest of the way.

"Reid!" she snapped out his name in a low growl.

"Hush…" he told her, kissing her nose. She wrinkled it, still scowling at him.

"I like holding you…" he reminded her with a lop-sided smile. "I like taking care of you…"

Scarlett rolled her eyes, fighting off her own smile at his silly grin as he set her down at the top of the stairs, letting her walk into the apartment on her own.

"Don't get used to it," she groused, meeting his eyes. "But thanks…"

Spencer's grin widened. "You're welcome," he said, giving her a playful nudge forward into the door.

Norie watched them, smiling at the interaction. Taking her cue from Spencer, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, heading over to sit on the couch.

"Mom, come sit with me- I found a really cool website that has a ton of recipes… I want you to see them. Maybe I can make dinner for us tonight?" she asked, keeping her tone hopeful.

Reid winked at Norie over Scarlett's shoulder as he watched their daughter maneuver Scarlett into resting and giving up dinner chores in one move.

 _Check and mate_ , he thought with a smirk. _Scarlett will never win against the both of us_.

He picked up the mail on the countertop, sorting through the bills from the junk. A certified letter addressed to him from Texas caught his eye and he opened it.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

 _The next portion of the story will bring in a character -Adam Jackson- from the Criminal Minds episode "Conflicted". Although I am not using the episode specifically, I do not own and did not create this character. All credit goes to the minds of the wonderfully talented CM writers. ~Becky_

Spencer set the letter down on the counter, scowling at it darkly as he read it through. He pulled his phone from his pocket, pacing into the office, shutting the door behind him as he put a call through to the institute in South Padre Island.

Scarlett had noticed the look on his face when he read the letter; saw the way he had tensed up before he'd headed into the other room. Concern lit in her eyes as she waited a bit for him to return. When he didn't come back out after five minutes, she decided to follow him.

"Hold that thought, baby," she interrupted Norie as she stood up from the couch. "You can start dinner, if you want- I need to check on Dad and see if that phone call has anything to do with work…"

"Oh, man!" the girl pouted. "I hope not- you guys just got back!" Norie headed into the kitchen; pulling out the ingredients she needed to make the recipe they'd chosen.

Having successfully sidetracked her daughter, Scarlett picked up the letter from the counter as she headed into the office. She knocked softly before pushing the door open, hearing Reid arguing with someone on the other end of the phone line.

"And you just let him go- just like that? Without any follow up instructions or any way to maintain contact with him?" she heard him raise his voice in disbelief. The concern she'd felt nudged up a bump to worry when she heard his tone.

"No, no- I don't want to hear about lack of funding… That's just a cop out!" he shouted angrily. "There's no way you should have ever released him! He's a convicted serial killer! No- you _know_ prison wasn't an option, he's in a dissociative fugue for fuck's sake!" he lost his temper, swearing at whoever was on the other side of the call.

Scarlett moved to stand beside him, taking his free hand in hers. He was clenching and releasing his fist, causing the stitches to bleed again. She stroked his hand softly, waiting for him to calm down a bit.

Spencer let out a stressed breath, meeting Scarlett's gaze. He shook his head quickly, unable to explain anything at the moment.

"You tell your supervisor that I'm going to have _my_ supervisor _and_ the District Attorney of the United States call him directly to find out who exactly is responsible for letting him out into the streets without even a thought to the danger they were putting out into society. You trust me, _someone_ will be charged with criminal neglect and disregard for public safety… You don't think so? Watch me!" he snapped, hanging up the phone.

He leaned against the desk, struggling to regain some composure, shaking angrily as nerves ran through his system. He felt Scarlett run her hand up and down his back, trying to help him find the calm. Closing his eyes, he groaned, turning into her arms, holding her close.

Scarlett didn't ask any questions, only held on to him, continuing to rub his back with small circles until he pulled back a little, looking into her eyes.

"Did you read the letter?" he asked.

"No," she shook her head. "What happened?"

Spencer handed her the letter back from where she'd set it on the desk.

"Adam Jackson…" he said simply.

Scarlett recognized the name. Spencer had continued to personally follow a case from a few years ago with subsequent visits to a young man who had dissociative personality disorder. He'd discussed the case with her a few times in the past, the most current point being when he'd visited in February. She read through the letter and looked at Reid in shock.

"They released Amanda?!"

"They released Adam," he corrected her, is voice showing his repulsion at the decision. "Or so they think…"

"And since Adam isn't the alter who'd committed the crime, they believed it was safe to let him out on his own? Are _they_ crazy?" she snapped.

"I don't know what they were thinking- at the very least he should have been released to police custody! This never should have happened!" Spencer began to pace the floor.

"So, now Adam is left out in the world, with a prescription and a bus ticket… to where?" Scarlett asked. "What the hell?!"

"If it is Adam, he's probably confused and scared out of his mind- which is better than the alternative…" he scoffed.

"Being?"

"That it is Amanda, pretending to be Adam just to get released. She is very manipulating- I wouldn't put it past her to use the loophole to gain her freedom…"

"Shit…" Scarlett swore, pulling out her own phone. "Let's hope Penny can track her… him… whichever he is right now," she scowled, not even knowing how to phrase the sentence.

"If it's Adam, Penelope can focus on halfway houses and rehab centers… he may choose to go to one of those, for safety…"

"And Amanda?"

Spencer frowned. "I don't know… she may just blend in, keep a low profile until she thinks she's safe. Or keep pretending to be Adam for the same reason."

"But you don't believe there is any way it is truly Adam…" Scarlett met his eyes.

He shook his head. "I don't think so, Katy. I talked to Amanda at length this last time… She was cooperative, as always, but insistent that Adam was still safer with her protecting him."

"And nothing seemed off at the last meeting- she didn't say anything that would make you think she was planning something like this?"

"No… not at all… nothing was out of the ordinary- I mean, we just _talked_ ," he said exasperated.

Scarlett took his hand again. "It's going to be okay, sweetie. We'll have Penny look for Adam-slash-Amanda, talk to Hotch and have the locals put out a bolo, and we'll find him, okay?" she reassured him, knowing he was worried about the younger man.

"You know Amanda won't let Adam get hurt, right? So as long as she is keeping a low profile, she shouldn't be on the attack… We'll catch up to him, farm boy," she told him.

"In the meantime, I need to see what the psychiatrists have been reporting on Adam these last few months. Maybe something in their documentation can give us an idea what brought about this sudden change," he scowled darkly.

"I'll call Penny. You take Hotch. We'll find him, boy. You'll see."

"Right… okay…" he picked his own phone back up to call Hotch and explain the situation.

Scarlett stepped out of the office, waiting for Penelope to answer. Heading back into the kitchen, she sat down next to Norie, who was chopping veggies to steam with dinner.

"Do you have to leave?" she asked Scarlett.

"No, baby. We don't have to go anywhere- not now, anyway. Just make a ton of phone calls because some bureaucrats screwed up royally," she sighed.

"Is Dad okay?" she continued chopping, avoiding Scarlett's gaze. Noticing the tension in the little girl's shoulders, Scarlett frowned.

"What'cha need sweetie?" Garcia's voice came over the speaker.

"Hold on, Pens…" Scarlett put her hand over Norie's.

"Hey," she stilled the knife, drawing her attention to her.

"Dad's fine. Nors- we are all okay, everything is fine. Something hasn't gone right, and it has Dad royally pissed, but he is fine. Alright?" she tucked her hand under the little girl's chin.

Norie bit her lips together in a tight line, giving Scarlett a stiff nod.

"No worries, _capiche_?"

Noreen grinned at the old fashioned slang. " _Capiche_ , Mom…" she repeated that she understood.

"Good," Scarlett put the phone back to her ear as she chucked her daughter's chin lightly. Norie took the vegetables over to the steamer, dropping them into the pot.

"Okay, Katy bird- What has our boy doctor so good and thoroughly pissed off?" Penny asked, having overheard her conversation with Norie.

Scarlett explained the situation to Garcia, while Reid gave the same update to Hotch. He entered the kitchen as he disconnected the call, rubbing at his temples, trying to stop the headache that had started.

Norie went to his side, hugging him tightly.

"Are you still pissed off?" she asked, looking up into his face. Spencer quirked his eyebrow over at Scarlett, shaking his head at her sheepish look.

"Oops," Scarlett said in apology.

"Yeah, I'm still a bit _ticked_ off," he answered, changing the word. He hugged her back, leaning over to kiss her hair. "This helps," he smiled down at her.

"Good," Norie squeezed him again.

"Thanks girl," Scarlett said hanging up with Garcia while she picked up her laptop from the living room table. She brought it to Spencer, looking up at him.

"Penny sent you the medical files from the institute. Do your thing, boy…" she told him, setting the computer in front of him when he sat down. Norie looked over his shoulder, watching between his face and the screen when he opened the files.

Scarlett noticed her eyes tracking almost as quickly over the words as Reid's …

"Norie, come on kiddo- that's not…" she sighed heavily, looking into her eyes. Norie had already seen so much, she was way beyond her years in experiences... Scarlett wanted to preserve whatever was left to her innocence, and protect her from seeing the bad that was out there…

"You don't need to see that. Let's finish dinner while Dad works," she took the girl by the hand, leading her away from the computer.

Spencer looked up briefly, catching Scarlett's eyes. _Thanks_ … he mouthed the word to her. He didn't want Norie reading this either.

Turning his attention back to the reports, he concentrated on the documentation, absorbing the information the doctors had written about Adam over the last several years.

Scarlett watched him as he studied the words flying across the screen, taking in far more than she could have ever believed possible from anyone else… _Except_ _Spencer_ … she thought, smiling softly to herself.

He barely blinked as the pages scrolled past in quick succession. She could see his eyes tracking rapidly from left to right, not missing a sentence. And she knew from personal experience, that each of those words would be branded on his mind forever, his ability for perfect recall would bring it all back with only a thought.

"Wow…" she heard Norie breathe out the word from beside her, bringing her out of her reverie. Putting her good arm around the girl's shoulder, she hugged her close.

"Yup, wow is right," she agreed, kissing her forehead. "Reid is pretty fucking amazing…" she said, completely forgetting herself as she continued watching him with awe.

Norie looked from Spencer up to Scarlett with a grin. "I want to be like Daddy…"

"Mmm, you couldn't have a better role model, that's for sure," she told her daughter. "He's one of the best…"

Scarlett grinned as she watched him freely for a little longer. Spencer was so engrossed in the task that he didn't even notice she was studying him. Feeling her heart stutter a bit in her chest, Scarlett rubbed at it absently before turning back to help finish preparing dinner.

Noreen noticed the look that crossed Scarlett's face, saw her rub her chest and sighed, hoping someday she'd be lucky enough to meet someone who would make her feel like that…


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

"Where are we on the Adam Jackson situation?" Hotch asked as the team met in the conference room the next morning.

Reid took one of the case files from the center of the desk, preferring to look at the hard copies rather than digital. Rossi followed suit, while the others pulled the information up on their tablets.

Garcia shook her head. "There hasn't been any sight of either description of Adam or Amanda, not even with the bolo… I haven't found anything around the area from local halfway houses, and the prescription for the anti-psychotics that was given to him wasn't filled," she sighed.

"It's like he disappeared…"

"Because that's what she wanted to do," Reid warned. "Amanda wanted to disappear. Adam wasn't ever back in control…"

"The last interview you had with Adam was in February, right?" Rossi asked him. "Nothing she said indicated that she was planning for this? She didn't pretend to be Adam at that point?"

"Not at all," Spencer shook his head. "She said that Adam was safer while she was protecting him," he replied. "Just as she always has…"

Scarlett looked over some information that she hadn't noticed before.

"You have your interviews on video?" she asked Spencer. He nodded.

"I thought it would be the best way for the doctors to see exactly how the questioning went when Amanda was faced with an outside source…"

Scarlett looked over at Penelope. "I'd like to see those interviews," she mentioned.

"You got it, Katy bird," Garcia tapped through a few screens in her laptop, opening the intuitions database, copying the files and sending them to Scarlett.

"Maybe I'll see something that could help…" Scarlett stated.

"Let us know if you do," Hotch nodded. "Keep us apprised if any new information shows up in the search, Garcia…"

"Will do," Penny nodded. "It's at the top of my list…"

"Keep an open search for any new murders that match Amanda's M.O., also," Rossi added.

"Already in the programming," she said.

"Should we put boots on the ground in South Padre?" Morgan asked.

Hotch shook his head. "Not at the moment. The locals are aware of the seriousness of the situation. I don't want to be there chasing ghosts if Amanda has headed out of Texas."

"Do you think that's a possibility?" JJ asked Reid.

"At this point, anything is possible," Spencer frowned. "Amanda is strong, self-reliant, narcissistic and capable. We can't rule out that she's decided to run from the state."

"So she could be anywhere…" Morgan sighed.

"Right," Hotch agreed. "Alright everyone, take your assignments, but let's keep the Jackson file as top priority…" he told them. "Garcia, I want you to expand your search to nationwide- including the MO…"

Penny nodded, tapping information into the computer. "Done and done," she said.

Everyone stood to leave the room, heading back to their desks.

Spencer sat at his desk across from Scarlett. Between moments while working on his own paperwork, he'd look up, watching her as she reviewed the taped interview sessions from over the past years.

He watched her scowl, fidget, sigh or frown alternately, for most of the morning. He'd noticed when her eyes would blank, as they did when she was caught up in a memory from the past. Keeping an eye on her as she would come out of it, he felt his own nerves stretch taut then relax. He couldn't figure out what kept pulling her back…

Around lunch time, he finally stood up, moving around their desks to her side. She was so engrossed in the video; she didn't even take notice until he tapped the headset covering her ears.

Scarlett paused the feed, looking up to meet his hazel eyes.

"Let's take a break," he suggested. "I don't know about you but my eyes are tired. We've been staring at the files for nearly five hours now, without a break..."

"Hmm? Really?" she looked at the clock. "I didn't even notice. I guess I got caught up in watching you… Past you, anyway," she gave him a slight smirk. "You've always been quite the cutie…"

Spencer blushed and made a face at her, glancing at the screen to see the younger version of himself.

"Riiight," he rolled his eyes, seeing the tangle of long hair that covered most of his face, a slight scruff of beard he'd probably forgotten to shave off and very young looking face staring back at him. "Please…" he said in exasperation.

Scarlett arched a brow at him. "This is you- umm, how you looked when I met you for the first time, I mean," she told him, looking back at the screen. Spencer saw her eyes go unfocused again.

"I fell for you back then, you know…" she told him, turning the soft look back at him now.

"Now I'm up to the year when you started talking to Mauve," she said as her eyes cleared.

It worried him how fast she was tripping back and forth between the past and present.

Spencer looked at her, scowling slightly. "How do you know that?" he asked and caught the date on the corner of the screen. She was right…

"I can tell by your eyes, sweetie. You were in love…" she sighed, a small smile played on her lips.

When he only shook his head, shrugging uncomfortably, Scarlett reached over taking his hand in hers.

Spencer watched her stand before him, her eyes keeping him rooted to the spot.

"You don't believe me?" she asked, running a finger up the front of his tie. "I can read lifetimes in your eyes, my sweet boy… You are a very old soul."

Scarlett studied him intently, her out of focus gaze telling him she wasn't quite in the present...

"Uh," he cleared his throat, his brain fogging up blankly from the intense look in her eyes. He swallowed hard.

"Katy…"

"Spencer…" she mimicked him, grinning as his blush deepened.

He huffed out a breath, looking around the office, reminding _himself_ where they were. She stepped closer, backing him up against the edge of his desk. He felt it hit the back of his thighs and sat down hard, putting himself eye to eye with her.

"Crazy girl," he felt her hands move to his chest. "We are on company time," he reminded her. Her gaze cleared as she grinned, leaning closer.

"I thought we were on lunch, pretty boy," she pouted a little, her bottom lip dragging between her teeth.

Spencer felt his body react when she stepped between his knees, trailing her finger lightly across his jaw. Closing his eyes, he tried to rein himself in by running statistical analyses of traffic patterns in DC through his overloaded brain.

It completely failed when he heard her husky laugh.

"Come along, boy," she teased. "Let's take a walk and cool off…"

Taking his hand again, she tugged him towards the exit doors.

Once outside the building, Scarlett squealed in surprise when he pulled her to the side of the office building, backing her against the wall.

 _So much for cooling off_ , she thought as he looked down at her. She could see the fire in his eyes…

Spencer braced his hands on either side of her, blocking her in, surrounding her with his body. He leaned over, kissing her until he heard her moan in response. Pulling back after a bit, he fought to regain his self-control…

Scarlett held her breath, biting her lips tightly into a thin line, breathing roughly through her nose and repeating the process. When she met his gaze once again, she could still see his need burning as hot as her own.

"Mercy, boy…" she said with a stuttering breath. "We can't…"

"I _know_!" he growled out, frustrated. "Please, stop _looking_ at me like that…" he both warned and begged her. Her green eyes flared.

"I can't…" she told him, her voice just above a whisper. She kept seeing him, that first time… all of the love, the tenderness- everything he'd come to mean to her, seemed to catch up to her all at once. Her heart stuttered in her chest.

Spencer had to turn away when he saw her eyes turn blank then soften again. He paced along the sidewalk, scrubbing his hands across his face roughly, then through his hair. Breathing more evenly, he finally returned to stand before her.

"You picked an inopportune moment to become sexually hormonal," he told her flatly, scowling at her.

Scarlett's eyes widened. "That what you think this is?" she felt her temper flare.

 _Good, thank God_ … Reid thought as he saw her eyes change from lusty to angry in a heartbeat.

She saw him bite back a grin and figured out what he was doing. Tamping down her emotions, she crossed her arms over her chest defensively, taking care not to bump her cast.

"Fine," she pouted, feeling mulish. "Maybe I am a little hormonal… What's your excuse?" she snarked, pointing out that his control had slipped also.

"I want you… I always do…"

Just hearing his words re-ignited the spark in her veins. Spencer swallowed hard against the tightness in his throat, watching her eyes darken. He backed up a step.

Scarlett noticed the move.

"I won't jump you, Reid," she scowled. "I want to- but I won't…"

Spencer shoved his hands in his pockets to keep himself from reaching for her.

"You are in so much trouble when we get home," she warned him, turning back to the entrance doors, leaving him standing there alone.

Reid waited a few more minutes, giving himself a chance to gather his scattered wits before heading back inside.

Scarlett was back at her desk, talking to Hotch.

"I'm still running through video," she told their supervisor. "Unfortunately, I don't scan as fast as Reid does… But, so far, there isn't anything that indicated a change… Amanda is still completely in control."

"We'll meet again at end of day," Hotch told her, looking at Reid to include him also. "You'll be fully caught up by then?" he asked her.

"Yup- I'll push right through…"

Scarlett studied the tapes for the next few hours and had become so completely engrossed in something that she'd totally tuned out everything around her.

Spencer kept busy with his own work, even taking some of Scarlett's other case files from her desk, so she could focus on the Jackson interviews without falling behind. At one point she'd left her desk without a word, and still hadn't returned.

He stopped by Garcia's office just before they were supposed to reconvene to see if she had any updates or hits on the computer.

"I got bupkiss, boy wonder… Amanda isn't poking her head up anywhere," she told him, following him out of her tech cave towards the conference room.

"I guess that is good news, in a way," he admitted. "If she's in hiding, she's not hunting," he sighed.

"But it won't help us find her," Penny felt his frustration. She understood how badly Reid wanted to help Adam. This case had gotten under his skin from day one.

They walked into the meeting together. Spencer took a seat next to Scarlett.

Hotch entered the room. "I had a meeting with the director. She wants the Jackson case to be our top priority… We'll focus on finding Amanda- any other cases will wait…"

Spencer felt his nerves loosen a bit at the news. It would help to not have to split their focus.

"What changed her mind?" Rossi asked.

Hotch looked over to Scarlett.

"The director is convinced that it is indeed Amanda that is in control. She's used a ploy to gain her freedom, which never should have happened, and it makes it look like we've dropped the ball… she wants it corrected immediately…"

"The institute dropped that ball, not us…" Morgan argued.

"Regardless, she doesn't want the bad press if Amanda starts killing again," Hotch responded.

"Furthermore, she believes after hearing Ryan's direct report that Amanda poses an immediate threat to one of our own…"

Spencer's eyes widened at that. He hadn't realized Scarlett had gone straight to the director without filling him in on what she'd found. He looked towards her now.

"What makes you think that?" he asked her directly.

Scarlett held her emotions tightly in check, just as she had for most of the afternoon. Fury ran like burning ice in her veins, but she refused to let it show.

"Amanda noticed your ring…" she scowled.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"My… ring? My wedding band…?" he looked down at his hand. "What- what does that have to do with anything?" Spencer asked, confused.

Scarlett sighed, looking up to Hotch to see if he wanted to explain, or if he'd prefer for her to tell the team what they'd discussed with the director. When he only nodded at her, she continued.

"At first, I thought I was just projecting… bringing too many of my own emotions into the case," she qualified, keeping the tight mask on her face.

"So I took apart pieces of the interviews, then had Hotch _and_ the director look them over separately… just to be certain…" she said, shoving herself up from the chair, taking up the video controller to turn on the clips for the others to see.

Spencer watched along with the team to the compilation of the interviews. He tried to see it through unbiased eyes, but nothing stood out to him. The interviews seemed quite repetitive to him.

At the end of the feed, during their last meeting, he did notice Amanda look at his hands several times, but he couldn't figure out why any of that gave reason for concern.

Obviously, he'd missed something though, because when the video was over, all eyes had turned to him.

"What?" he asked uncomfortably.

"I told you he wouldn't see it," Scarlett said to Hotch. "He has no idea…" she scowled darkly.

"Oh boy," Garcia huffed out a breath, looking at Reid. He saw fear on her face as she turned her attention back to her computer.

"I'll pull up any facial recognition databases that are in the DC area. Airport security, bus lines, trains… Do trains have security feeds? They have to, don't they?" Penny asked nervously as she flipped open her laptop, beginning the search.

Morgan reached over to touch her shoulder. "It'll be okay baby girl, calm down…"

Spencer scowled at her. "DC area?"

JJ leaned closer to Reid, placing her hand on his arm. He looked down at it when she gave him a quick squeeze.

"Spence…" her voice held tight concern.

Spencer frowned.

"Will someone please tell me what the _fuck_ is going on?" he snapped, looking around the room at his friends, finally settling his gaze on Scarlett.

Her eyes were hard, masked. His frown deepened.

"Tell me…" he demanded.

"Amanda is after _you_ , farm boy," Scarlett finally answered. She sighed heavily at the quick shake of his head.

"That's absurd… Why would-"

"Spence. Listen to Katy. She's not the only one who noticed," JJ offered, cutting him off, seeing Scarlett's frustration at his denial.

"She's thought of you as hers… probably from not long after you'd first started 'visiting' her. You didn't see it. You won't see it, because you don't see yourself the way I do- or the way others do…" Scarlett continued.

"In Amanda's mind, you cared for Adam and so in a way, you cared for her… She used that over the years, to comfort herself, maybe- I don't know. Adam was so broken Reid, so his alter hooked on to the thought that you cared, making it into more than what it was…" Scarlett stated, spelling out for him what the others had seen so clearly.

"Then, seeing that you got married- …"

Scarlett closed her eyes and reached deeper to find her calm.

"She saw that as a betrayal. She is after you…"

Reid took the remote, replaying the video again. Scarlett could see him trying to pick out the moments, attempting to wrap his mind around the thought.

"I don't fit her victim profile," Spencer mentioned, still trying to deny the truth. "She wouldn't be after me. She wouldn't see me as an alpha or a threat…"

Hotch shook his head. "Maybe not originally. But now, with Amanda having aligned herself with you _personally_ , it's added another dimension to her profile."

"She thinks I led her on… made her believe there was more behind the visits… she's looking for revenge…" Spencer began to see what they were telling him.

"It's my fault," he scowled.

"No, sweet boy. You cared. That's all you did. It's not your responsibility that she took that the wrong way… It's not your fault that Adam couldn't process 'caring' or that Amanda made it sexual…" Scarlett told him. She sat beside him, covering his hand in her own.

"Nobody has probably ever offered that to Adam- he didn't know how to deal with it emotionally- so Amanda turned it into something different," Rossi agreed.

"She asked me about you," Spencer met Scarlett's eyes. "After the interview- when I was leaving, this last time. Amanda overheard me talking about our wedding. She asked me, 'Who is the lucky lady?'" he recalled the conversation from February.

"She knows I work with you. She knows your name," he scowled. "What if I'm not the target? What if she's looking to get to you?"

Scarlett heard the worry in his voice. "Don't Spence," she said softly…

"I put you in danger," he looked in her eyes. "If I hadn't said anything- If I didn't allow myself to become personally involved-"

"Reid, Scarlett is right. You aren't responsible for Amanda's actions. We've got her on our radar- she won't make a move towards you or Scarlett without us finding her first," Morgan interjected.

"What are you going to do? Put a twenty four hour detail on us?" Spencer asked. He saw Hotch and Scarlett exchange a look.

"Oh… come on," he complained. "You can't be serious…"

He scrubbed a hand over his face, frustrated at how out of control the situation had become.

"I have another suggestion…" Scarlett offered, not liking idea of the security detail that their superiors had ordered any more than he did.

Hotch looked over to her. "Which is?"

Scarlett huffed out a tense breath.

"Norie has a summer camp coming up. She was considering heading back to Chicago so she wouldn't miss it, but she didn't want to cut her visit with us short. If we take her back to my mother's, stay with her for the next few weeks…" she shrugged.

"Then if Amanda is looking for Reid here, she won't find him…" JJ stated.

"There is no way to connect my ties to Chicago from here…" Scarlett offered.

"Does anyone really think Amanda would walk up to the Bureau's DC offices looking for me?" Spencer complained.

"The institute had your address- they sent you a certified letter directly to your home," Rossi reminded him. Spencer met his eyes with concern. He'd forgotten that fact.

"Amanda could have accessed her files, found your contact information…" Penny agreed. "It's not impossible, considering how lax their security was…" she told him, waving her hand at the data she'd easily collected.

"I wouldn't want to take any chances," Scarlett scowled.

"You'd go? You'd run?" Spencer asked her in disbelief. Scarlett raised her brow towards him.

"To protect you, Norie and our baby? I'd run as far and as fast as I could. You shouldn't have had to ask that question," she glared at him.

Spencer watched her face, seeing the concern hidden behind the determination there… he pressed the heels of his palms to his eyes.

"Then we'll go. As soon as we can get a flight, we'll go to Chicago," he looked around the table at his friends. "I'm worried that it will leave you all short-handed…" he said flatly.

Rossi shook his head. "You two are both more than capable to work the case over the distance. We can still use your brain power…" he gave Spencer a slight grin. "Consider it a working vacation."

"Then it's settled…" Hotch agreed. "I want you on the next plane to Chicago," he told them. "I won't cancel the detail until you are on the way…"

Scarlett nodded. "I will give it until Norie starts back to school," she warned him. "I won't hide out for longer than that. If we don't have Amanda back in custody by then…" she looked at the calendar on her tablet.

"Three weeks- then we come back, face her on our own terms," she told the team, settling her gaze to Spencer's.

"I won't hide forever," she frowned.

Surprised she'd suggested it in the first place, Spencer only nodded in agreement.

"Three weeks…" he repeated.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Scarlett hugged Norie close, setting her cheek against the girl's hair and inhaled deeply. Closing her eyes, she memorized her daughter's scent.

"Okay baby girl…" she breathed out, holding back her tears. "You behave for Mama, do good in school, and promise you will call every night," she told her, straightening herself to look in Norie's eyes.

The green gaze so much like her own, stared directly back at her. Scarlett blinked at the younger mirror image, wondering when in the hell during the summer had Norie caught up to her in height. They were now nose to nose…

"I will, Mom, I promise," Norie's face scrunched up a bit as she fought back her own tears. "I'm going to miss you both so much," she pouted, a single tear falling down her cheek.

Spencer brushed it away with his thumb. "We will be back to visit soon," he promised. "Mom and I both have some vacation time left- we will break it up so we can come out to see you often…"

"I want to take off school for November… I want to be with you- I want to be home, when my brother comes…" Norie looked between them, watching their eyes.

Scarlett smiled, including her mother in her next words. "I expect both of you will be beside me when he decides to make his appearance," she said.

Fran wrapped her arm around Scarlett's shoulders. "We wouldn't miss it for anything, baby. We will be there…"

"As far as taking off for the month, let's see what we can do so you can stay with us for a while afterwards, without falling behind in school. We will work something out," Spencer told her.

"Promise?" Norie hugged his waist tightly.

"I promise, sweetheart," he kissed her hair, brushing some back off her forehead when she looked up at him. "But for now, enjoy your friends and time here," he smiled.

Norie stepped back into Fran's embrace. "Okay…"

They heard the announcement to board for their flight back to DC. Scarlett sighed.

"I'll miss you both…" she said, hugging her mom and Norie once more.

"I'm glad I got to have you around for the past month, baby girl…" Frannie told her, holding her tight. She placed a hand on Scarlett's slightly rounding stomach. Her grandson moved under her touch, giving her a strong kick.

"Both of you," she grinned. "I'll see you soon…" she kissed Scarlett's cheek, and then turned to reach up to kiss Reid's.

"See you soon, Mom," Spencer said, hugging her back tightly.

"Take care of my babies," she told him.

"Always," he smiled. "You take care of mine…"

"Always," Fran grinned, stepping back to put her arm around Norie's shoulder.

Scarlett let Reid take her hand, drawing her through the airport to catch their flight, while tears blurred her vision. Once they finally reached their seats, she gave into them, turning her face into his shoulder for a cry…

Spencer shifted in his seat to hold her. He rubbed her back lightly, kissing her forehead. After a few minutes, she stopped and he handed her his handkerchief…

"Have I mentioned lately how much I hate hormones…" she lamented, wiping at her face roughly.

"I think only twice this morning," he stated, looking down into her over-bright eyes. "Would you prefer the nausea back?" he reminded her.

Scarlett stuck her tongue out at him. "No," she huffed. "But a little less water works would be helpful. I think I'm going nuts…"

Spencer grinned at that, tucking his fingers under her chin so she'd look up at him.

"I wouldn't have you any other way, crazy girl…"

She laughed in spite of herself, shaking her head. "Alright, point taken," she told him, settling her head back against his shoulder for the flight home.

Scarlett sighed heavily, adjusting the soft cast that now covered her arm. She flexed her fingers, feeling no pain, and took Reid's hand with it.

"Don't overuse it, Katy," he warned her. "The doctor said you were healing well- you don't want to mess anything up now that may require surgery…"

"I know," she agreed. "But using it a little won't hurt. I'm going to have to start physical therapy soon anyway to get the strength back," she reminded him.

"Don't push…" he started, but then stopped, meeting her cheeky grin. He repeated her heavy sigh. "Just be careful," he gave in.

"I will. I don't want any set-backs either," she promised.

Shifting in her seat uncomfortably, she arched her back, flexing her muscles. Spencer noticed the movement and took a travel pillow, settling it behind the small of her back.

"Thanks pretty boy," she said softly. Spencer ran his hand down her back, rubbing it lightly.

"Eleven more weeks," he told her, kissing her temple.

"I'm going to look like a mountain by then," she groused, looking down at her belly. Her t-shirt was a bit tighter now, and she realized she was going to need to get some looser clothing now that she was beginning to show. "And probably move about as well as one…"

She thought about JJ, who was actually overdue now. During their last chat, her friend told her that her doctor had scheduled her to be induced next week, if the baby didn't come on its own... JJ had admitted she just wanted the baby to come out already so she could move around comfortably again.

"The baby will grow the most in this last trimester…" he offered. "It really won't be your weight, it'll be his…"

"And you look beautiful, as always," he said.

Scarlett watched her stomach move as the baby kicked again. "Remember that in ten weeks, boy, when I'm in my own way, swollen, bitchy and taking it out on you…" she teased.

"I'll keep telling you…" he promised, resting his own hand over their son. "I promise…"

Scarlett covered his hand with her own, running her thumb over his knuckles as the baby nudged at them almost playfully.

"I think he's going to have your long legs, boy…" she smiled up at Reid.

"He's certainly active…" he agreed, watching the movement under her t-shirt. Relaxing for a little while, they sat together in a comfortable silence.

"Hotch said that they'd have a car waiting for us at the airport," Spencer told her, changing the subject, turning the conversation towards work. The fact that the team was still not any closer to finding Adam Jackson, even though they'd delayed their return for an extra week- was in the back of both of their minds.

"I know. I talked to JJ last night. I guess we are expected to deal with personal body guards when we land," she scowled a little.

"It's hard to believe that Amanda has just disappeared… but Garcia hasn't found any trace of her or Adam. I'm wondering if she decided to just go under, stay there, rather than take a chance at being brought in again," he stated.

"If we don't find her Spence, we will always be looking over our shoulders," she reminded him gently, knowing that a part of him hoped to avoid a confrontation, not only for their sake, but for Adam's…

He held her hand a little tighter. "I know. She's bound to make a mistake somewhere- Penelope will find her," he kept his outlook optimistic.

Scarlett didn't say anything, but didn't hold much hope, considering even with the team's full attention focused on finding her, they still hadn't come close… and now the director was making noise about the BAU handling this case singularly was wasting their time. Her mindset was more aligning with Reid's- that Jackson had decided revenge wasn't worth the price to pay with his freedom and had gone into hiding.

But Scarlett had a feeling Amanda was still waiting to make her move, to lull them into a false sense of security. And no matter how vigilant they tried to be, she had the advantage there- time was on her side.

Spencer saw the furrows deepen across Scarlett's brow. He didn't bother to ask what was stressing her out. He already knew the answer. Instead, he trailed his fingers lightly over her skin, brushing gentle touches over the sensitive areas of her arm, trying to distract her. He heard her breathing change, saw goose bumps raise along her skin when he stroked the inside of her elbow, down over her wrist and palm.

She reached up to touch his jaw, and he pressed a kiss into her hand.

"I love you, Katy Scarlett," he told her earnestly, keeping his eyes locked to hers.

Scarlett ran her thumb over his lips.

"As I love you, Spencer…"


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

They'd no sooner reached their front door, when their phones began to ring simultaneously. Scarlett opened hers first…

"What's up D?" she asked. "We are just walking in the door…"

Spencer answered his also… "Reid…"

Listening to each of their own conversations, they dropped off their bags and headed right back out the door…

Scarlett looked nervously at Spencer. "I don't know if I can do this, Spence…" she warned him.

"Crazy girl- JJ is giving birth, not you…" he grinned, excited to hear that his new godchild was making her way into the world.

Spencer took a minute and jogged over to the unmarked sedan, where the protective detail had set up outside their building. The men looked confused, since they'd just dropped them off…

Reid explained quickly where they were going, and why. He told the other agents that they need not follow them, since they may be gone awhile, also that they'd be with most of their team.

"They're going to sit tight, keep a watch on the apartment," he shrugged as he joined Scarlett in their car.

"Whatever," Scarlett shrugged, chewing on her thumb. Spencer raised a brow at her.

"Why are you so worked up, darling?" he asked, taking her hand away from her mouth and covering it in his own. He gave it a gentle squeeze.

Scarlett bit her lip. She shook her head, unable to put her feelings to words at the moment.

"JJ will be fine, she's done this before," he reminded her.

"I know…" she said softly. He blew out a tense breath. At least she was answering…

"The baby is fine… he's not early, there aren't any complications…"

"I know…"

"Come on, talk to me… please?" he pleaded, when her continued silence made him anxious.

"Spence- I'm okay. I know everyone is okay… uh, it's just sort of making it real, like _really_ real…"

"Instead of imaginarily real?" he teased. He hid his grin when he saw her raise her brow, giving him a dark scowl.

"Umm, sorry…" he apologized quickly. When she crossed her arms over chest defensively, turning to watch out the window, he tried again.

"Hey… seriously, Scarlett. I'm sorry- I didn't mean to poke fun at you…"

She heard the sincerity in his voice and decided to give him a second chance. When he reached for her hand, she linked her fingers through his and sighed.

"I don't know that I can do this Spencer," she repeated, starting the conversation over again.

Spencer kept his silence a moment longer, maneuvering the car through the streets towards the hospital.

"Katy…" he began again. "Women give birth every day- it is a completely natural process…" he started and saw her eyes narrow once again…

"Christ- I'm not going to say anything right at this point, am I?" he asked sheepishly.

"I swear to every God I know of, Spencer Reid, if your next words were anything like 'women in other countries give birth in fields as they work' I'm going to punch you right in the balls…"

He swallowed hard, feeling his guts tense up, even though that wasn't even close to what he was going to say.

Scarlett saw him turn paler as a stricken look crossed his face. She started to snicker.

He caught the sound and threw her a look. When her giggle turned in to laughter and she snorted, he just shook his head.

"I'm really glad that the thought of punching me in the groin is so hysterical," he groused. That set her off into a fresh peel of laughter.

"Oh, man," she chuckled. "You- your face… Jesus, Spencer- you looked scared!"

Spencer looked at her in disbelief. "Uh, well… yeah…" he wrinkled his nose at her. "It isn't exactly a pleasant thought…"

"Pretty boy," she gave him a coquettish grin. "Are you afraid of me?" she blinked innocently.

He squirmed a bit, unsure of the correct answer. Scarlett shook her head in amusement.

"That's just… perfect," her impish grin widened. "Here I am, thinking I'm weak- and you make me feel strong with just a flinch," she teased, reaching her hand over to his thigh.

Spencer eyed up her hand coolly, giving her a baleful glance. "Glad to help," he muttered.

Scarlett bit the inside of her cheek to stop smiling at his discomfort. "I'm sorry, sweetie. I'll make it up to you later," she promised as she traced small circles along the inside of his leg. He snatched her fingers when she moved higher.

"Crazy girl… knock it off- I don't want to walk into the hospital with a hard on…" he nudged her hand away from his crotch.

"Hmm. Now my brain is locked onto that thought," she turned slightly in the seat, reaching for his lap again.

"Arrgh…" he groaned when her fingers moved back up his leg once more. He felt himself tightening in response, despite the equations he started running through his head.

"Scarlett…" he breathed out her name in a rush as he pulled into the parking lot for the hospital. "Please…"

"Begging only turns me on more, Reid…" she wrinkled her nose up at him. He saw her give a cocky grin when her palm brushed over his erection.

He shut off the car, turning to face her fully. Her eyes glittered in mirth.

"Kill me now… go ahead, get it over with," he told her, only half teasing, as he tried to adjust his pants into a more comfortable position.

"Not yet," she responded. He blew out a frustrated breath when she continued to rub her small hand against him. When she reached to undo his zipper, he grabbed for her hand again.

"Mercy," he squeaked.

Scarlett bit her bottom lip, pretending to pout. Spencer pulled her closer, kissing her mouth firmly.

She returned the kiss, matching his heat. When he heard the purring sound reach the back of her throat, Spencer groaned.

"Katy- we can't…" he panted, trying to regain control. "Not here…"

He watched her eyes darken and huffed out another slow breath. Scarlett backed away a little bit, keeping her gaze locked on his.

"When we get home, you are mine, farm boy…" she warned him with a wicked grin. She turned, opened her door and walked around the car. Spencer glanced up at her when she pulled open his door, waiting for him.

He saw her smirk.

"You are evil incarnate," he told her, staring straight ahead for another few moments. Scarlett waited patiently until he finally got out of the car, and then she turned to walk towards the entrances.

He slammed the door, moving up behind her. She looked up over her shoulder at him with an innocent expression.

Spencer brushed some of her hair back, leaned over her and nipped the corded muscle that ran along her throat. Scarlett felt a fissure of pleasure run up her spine.

"Mmm. Down, boy…" she warned.

He pulled her back against his chest, lowering his mouth to her ear.

"When we get home, I'm going to make you scream…" he whispered against her skin. She shivered in his arms.

"Promise?"

"Mmm-hmm," he kissed the shell of her ear, nuzzling against her neck. "Promise…"

Scarlett threaded her fingers through his, letting him lead her into the hospital.

On the maternity floor, Spencer waited at the nurses' station to find out JJ's room number. Scarlett caught sight of Will, nudged her husband and headed in that direction.

"Hey, you," Scarlett reached up to hug Will tight. "Where's everyone hiding?"

Will grinned. "Everyone is packed into that little room," he commented, flicking a hand towards a doorway. He turned his look to Spencer.

"It's crowded and my nerves are already shot… JJ told me to walk it off before she decided to kill me…"

Reid grinned. "I can relate… sort of…" Scarlett stuck her tongue out at him.

"I'm going in to see JJ. You two can boy bond about the evils of pregnant wives and delivery…" she told them, heading into the room.

Scarlett saw exactly what Will meant when she entered. She crossed over to where JJ sat in the bed, monitors hooked up to her stomach, reading the contractions. She winced in sympathy.

"How are you holding up, sweet girl?" she asked, dropping a quick kiss to JJ's forehead.

"It's not too bad yet," her friend stated. "I'm holding out hope for a quick delivery," she admitted, looking over at where her mother sat holding Henry. "He was quick, once the pushing started…"

"Spence is pacing the halls with Will," Scarlett told her when she saw JJ glance at the door. "I think they are exchanging tips…"

"I want to take a walk with Daddy and Uncle Spencer!" Henry scrambled off his grandmother's lap.

"Alright, I'll take you out to them," the older woman said to the boy. "I'll be back," she told her daughter.

"Thanks Mom," JJ sighed.

"It's harder waiting this time. There's not enough to do to keep my boys in line," she teased.

Penny nodded at Derek, looking towards the door. She stood up to leave.

"I think we could probably find something to interest Henry… that way your mom and Will can focus on being here with you…"

JJ gave her a smile. "I'd appreciate that. We thought about letting him be here when the baby came, but I'm beginning to think that it'll be too much for a five year old to understand…"

Scarlett watched as the monitor signaled another contraction. She took JJ's hand, letting her squeeze it as she breathed through the contraction.

JJ panted a bit. "Oh, okay- that was a good one," she breathed out heavily.

"Every one moves you closer to the prize…" Scarlett rubbed her arm. "No more waddling… no more swollen ankles… hormones out of control…"

JJ grinned.

"You're already looking forward to the end," she teased Scarlett. "You've got a little way to go yet, kiddo."

"Don't remind me," Scarlett snarked. "Between my crying jags, bursts of anger or random jolts of inappropriate increased libido, I think Spence is considering an exorcism on me before this is over…"

JJ laughed heartily. "Ow…" she squeezed Scarlett's hand again. "The libido thing is nature's way of making it up to them, I think…" she offered as the contraction passed.

Scarlett snorted. "I wanted to jump him in the car in the parking lot by the time we got here…" she admitted. "Reid isn't exactly comfortable with the 'libido thing'…"

"Ohhhh…" JJ started giggling. "Poor Spence…" she said, imagining he wouldn't be…

She bit back her laughter as Will and Reid stepped into the room. Spencer moved to JJ's side, eyeing up the monitors as he leaned over to kiss her cheek.

"Hey, you," she grinned at Reid, still picturing him trying to handle the hormones.

He noticed the strange look she gave him. "Hey back… what's the look about?" he asked, cluelessly.

"Oh, nothing. Just girl talk… Hormones, etcetera…" JJ teased him.

When he raised a brow, looking over at Scarlett's not so innocent expression, he blushed furiously.

"Ah… right, sure…" he rubbed his neck nervously. "Is there anything I can get you?" he asked, trying to change the subject.

JJ gave him a quick smirk and let him take the easy out.

"I am actually dying for a burger and fries… and a chocolate shake…" she sighed. "But I can't have anything until after delivery."

Spencer grinned at her request. "I promise as soon as he's born, I'll go get it for you myself…"

"Not hospital food," JJ pouted. "Real fast food…"

"I promise," he repeated. "You just work on bringing him here…" he said.

"Deal…"

Scarlett saw the monitor signal again. "Is that the norm?" she asked, her eyes widening. She took JJ's hand once again, noticing Reid do the same with her other hand. Will moved closer.

"Yeah, they'll get closer and increase in intensity…" JJ breathed out slowly. "They are getting stronger. That's a good thing," she said, noticing Scarlett's stricken face.

"You'll do fine too, Katy," JJ reassured her, squeezing her friend's hand, this time in compassion.

Another contraction started.

"Okay… Will…"

Reid stepped aside, letting Will take over. He looked over at Scarlett. "I think we will go get your mom…"

"Yes, please…" JJ panted. "And tell the nurse they are coming on top of each other now…"

"It won't be much longer, darlin'," Will drawled, pushing her hair back from her face. "Keep breathing…"

Scarlett rubbed JJ's arm. "I'm with you in spirit, sweetheart…" she tried to joke. JJ laughed in spite of herself.

"Go… run away," she teased Scarlett. "Enjoy the fun hormones while you can…"

"Geez, thanks!" Scarlett laughed, taking Spencer's hand as they left the room.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Spencer sat alongside Scarlett, watching the baby sleep as she held him in her arms. He couldn't resist reaching over and touching the soft cheek once again. Scarlett grinned up at him.

"Have you ever seen anything more beautiful?" she asked breathlessly.

Spencer kissed Scarlett's temple. He studied the soft gaze on his wife's face and thought, ' _never'_ … as he rubbed at the ache in his chest.

"Henry came pretty close," he smiled, not speaking his thoughts out loud, looking over at JJ instead. "You two make pretty babies," he offered the compliment.

JJ laughed, seeing the look on her friend's face, knowing full well that wasn't what he'd been thinking at all. "Thank you," she said, looking up at Will. "We happen to think so too…"

Reid stood up from the couch. "I'm going to grab dinner- my treat," he said. "Fast food burgers and fries were promised," he offered.

"And a chocolate shake," JJ reminded him.

Spencer gave her a smile. "Absolutely… Anyone else want in?"

Mentally listing each order from their friends gathered in the room, he pulled out his keys and leaned over to kiss Scarlett's forehead.

"I'll be right back," he told her.

"I'll go with you," she said, still watching the baby in her arms, enchanted with the infant.

Spencer chuckled. "Stay… it's only around the corner," he told her.

"Okay," Scarlett grinned, not wanting to give up her turn at holding the little boy.

A little while after Reid had left; the baby woke up, hungry and crying. Scarlett stood up, handing the bundle over to her friend.

"I think he's looking for you, Momma," Scarlett stepped back, surprised by the ache in her breasts at the baby's cry.

She tried her best to ignore the feeling, which was a bit disconcerting to say the least.

 _Yay… another fresh hormonal hell_ … she thought to herself with a scowl. She wanted to talk to Spencer about it…

"I'm going to check and see what's taking Spence so long," she told her friends as she pulled out her phone, using the excuse to leave the room.

"Yeah- before I start crying from hunger too," Will teased, looking over to meet his wife's eyes. JJ rolled them at him as she began to nurse the baby.

The sight added to Scarlett's uneasy ache so she slipped out quietly.

Once outside the hospital, she lifted her phone to her ear.

"What the hell?" she scowled when she got Spencer's voice mail.

"Hey- it's just me. Did you get lost?" she asked lightly, disconnecting the call. She took a quick walk over to where he'd parked this morning and saw the Volvo still in place.

"Fuck!" she swore, pulling her phone out once again, this time to call Hotch.

"I think we have a problem…" she said as soon as he picked up the line.

Explaining what was going on to Hotch over the phone, she paced around the car, looking for any sign of a struggle.

Her mind, switching quickly over to work mode, took in the area, comparing it to this morning when they'd first arrived to the present. She scowled, noticing some cigarette butts crushed out by the front of the car. A few more were scattered between there and a parking spot a little ways up from them.

Amanda. Scarlett scowled darkly. She must have followed them there and waited. When Spencer had come back alone, she'd taken the opportunity that she'd been given.

"Hotch. Get a hold of Garcia. Have her check the security cameras in the hospital's parking lot," Scarlett's voice held tight tension as she scanned the structure, noting the placement of the devices. "Penny should be able to find what disguise Amanda was sporting through the feeds. She was here… She's got Reid…"

Scarlett heard her phone beep indicating she had another call coming in. She saw Spencer's picture on the caller ID.

"I gotta go," she told Hotch, swapping the calls, ignoring Hotch's voice telling her they were on their way.

"Ryan- wait for back up!" was the last this she heard before the phone switched to the new call.

"Spence-" Scarlett huffed out his name on a tense breath, hoping he was actually on the line.

"Why did you call my husband?" a woman's voice answered. Scarlett swallowed down her anxiety as she recognized Amanda's voice from the interview footage.

"Hello, Amanda…" she stated coolly. She waited for a moment to the silence on the line.

"I don't know who Amanda is- but don't play dumb with me. Your number is saved in his phone, ' _crazy_ _girl'_ ," Amanda's voice turned icy when she said Scarlett's nickname… "So don't try to pretend you have the wrong number!" she snapped.

Scarlett pressed her lips together tightly at this turn of events. If this wasn't Adam's alter, Amanda- then who was it? He only had the one persona that they knew…

"So I'm going to ask you just one last time, 'crazy girl'- Why were you calling my husband?" her voice pitched slightly in fury.

"Who is this?" Scarlett said in a softer tone, trying to diffuse the alter's rage.

" _My_ name is Katy Reid… Mrs. Doctor Reid…" she stressed. "And you are going to tell me- who are _you_?!"

Scarlett nearly dropped the phone.

"I'm a friend," she tried to keep her voice and tone even as she scrambled to think of how to answer. If she said _she_ was Katy- the alter might snap further…

"I work with Dr. Reid," Scarlett continued.

"I work with my husband… if you work with us, I would know you," Amanda challenged. "He keeps your name in his phone under a pseudonym- Do you think I don't know what that means? How long have you been having an affair with him, bitch?"

Scarlett groaned inwardly. This just got much worse.

"I'm not- we aren't…" she stammered out, hoping to dissuade the alter from that line of thinking.

"I'm not a fool!" Amanda shouted.

"Okay! Okay!" Scarlett breathed out sharply. "What do you want from me?" she asked.

"I think I deserve to meet you face to face. Then I'm going to teach you a lesson…"

Scarlett tried to think for a moment. "You expect me to just walk up to your front door?" she asked.

"I'm not at home! I don't want you anywhere near my home," Amanda snarled.

 _Good_ , Scarlett thought. "Where do you want me to meet you then?" she asked.

"Spencer brought me to a nice hotel… we were _trying_ to have a relaxing weekend- until you called and ruined our plans! So you come here, and I will confront you, right in front of him. I want to hear what he has to say for himself in all this…"

 _Ah, God…_

"Okay… Just- let me talk to him for a minute," Scarlett begged.

"I don't think so," Amanda said haughtily. "He's a bit tied up at the moment…"

 _Fuck me…_

"How do I know he's even with you then?" she asked, turning the tables on Amanda. "Maybe he left you, and is planning on coming to me- and this is your way of getting me out of the way?" Scarlett countered.

"You little slut… you really think he'd leave me for you?" Amanda shrieked.

Scarlett heard the phone switch over to speaker mode. There was movement in the background, a door slammed and something heavy scraped across a floor…

"Spencer! Your little whore wants to know that you are really with me…"

"Scarlett- don't… do _not_ come here!"

Scarlett breathed a sigh of relief when she heard Reid's voice over the speaker.

"Sorry, Spence. That's not happening…" she told him.

"I deserve to face her!" Amanda snapped. "I deserve to see the woman you betrayed me for!"

"You are going to have to trust me," Scarlett told Spencer softly.

"Katy- please! This is my fault…"

"Yes it is- but only partially," Amanda answered him. Scarlett wasn't sure if Reid was aware Amanda had taken over her identity, or if he was actually talking to her…

She heard the speaker cut out as Amanda came back on the line.

"You are at fault too. Meet me here, before the hour is up. It's time you paid for your sins…" she rattled off an address not too far away and disconnected the call.

Scarlett ran back to their car, hurrying to get back to their apartment first in the time frame she'd been given. She'd just turned out of the lot when her phone rang again.

"Katy- Penny has the footage," Derek's voice came over her speaker. "We know what Amanda looks like…"

"D- there's no time…" she explained to her brother what she found out from the phone call.

"You aren't going alone!" he shouted at her.

"The hell I'm not!" Scarlett raised her voice right back. "You guys get there as soon as possible, but I am not waiting…"

"Scarlett- you are walking into a trap," Morgan pleaded with her.

"I know what I'm dealing with, Derek. She thinks she's _me_ for fuck's sake!"

"She has no idea who you are- you can't use that to predict her moves. She isn't sane!"

"What would you do, Derek- if it was Penny?"

The line remained completely quiet for a moment. The silence answered her question.

"I'm going D. Hurry…" she disconnected the call, pulled in front of the apartment and ran upstairs to their place.

Once inside, Scarlett stripped off her t-shirt, changing into a looser fitting top that hid her stomach better. She didn't know if Amanda knew she was pregnant or not and she didn't want anything to set the crazed alter off any further.

She grabbed her ankle holster, strapping it into place, hiding it under her pant leg, and then tugged on her harness boots. She slipped her knife into her other boot.

Pulling open her nightstand drawer, Scarlett took out her nine millimeter, checked to make sure it was loaded, shoving it into the small of her back. Heading back out of the bedroom, she turned into the hallway closet, grabbing two other items. Spencer's leather motorcycle jacket and her spare Kevlar vest.

She slipped them on also. When she zippered the leather, it completely concealed the vest and the baby. One last quick look into the mirror gave her pause.

She felt terrified.

She looked deadly.

Scarlett grabbed the keys for Juliet and ran out to her bike.

Spencer watched Amanda pace the room. The back of his head hurt like a bitch where he'd been pistol whipped, but the throbbing pain was nothing compared to the fear in his heart.

He knew Scarlett would come. Even when he'd told her not to- he'd known his words wouldn't stop her.

Amanda stopped pacing long enough to look at his phone, checking the time. She went over to the small table in the corner of the motel room, opened her purse and took out a bag.

Taking out a few pills, she dry swallowed a handful and turned to Reid. He bit his lips together tightly.

"We can do this the easy way, or the hard way…" she warned him.

He kept his mouth closed, glaring at her.

"Okay, the hard was then…" she said, going back to her purse and pulling out a syringe.

Reid shook his head.

"Adam, please… don't do this," he begged, eyeing up the needle.

"Shh, it'll be okay," she told him with a slight smile. "It's just a little something to loosen you up. After I get rid of your girlfriend, you and I are going to celebrate…"

Spencer swallowed thickly, trying to pull against the restraints that held his arms to the chair. Amanda leaned over him, brushing her cheek against his.

"I promise, this will make it all better," she whispered in his ear. She grinned at his struggling, sliding the needle into his vein.

"You don't have to do this…" he tried to jerk away as she pushed the plunger. He could feel the drugs burn as they entered his system.

"Fuck…" he swore roughly, shoving Amanda away with his shoulder, knocking her back into the bed. She straightened herself, standing before him again.

"You'll regret that," she warned him. "I'll make you suffer, worst of all…"

Spencer fought off the wave of dizziness that hit him. "What did you give me," he snarled as he began to sweat.

Amanda shrugged, lifting his chin to make him look up at her. His vision faded in and out when he tried to focus on her face.

"Just some party drugs, Spencer. You'll live…" she unbuttoned his shirt, trailing a manicured nail down his chest.

"Unless I decide you won't," she grinned, moving to straddle his lap. When he tried to pull away from her, she wrapped her hands into his hair, holding him still and kissing him.

Reid clamped his mouth shut, locking his jaw even as she dug her nails into his face, scratching him. He felt the pain as blood dripped down his cheek and used it to clear his head.

"What do you think is going to come of this Adam? You aren't going to make it out of here…" Spencer ground out angrily. His tongue was beginning to feel thick, his brain fuzzy as he tried to form words.

"Adam is dead, Dr. Reid," Amanda shook her head as if sorry to give him the sad news. "You tried so hard to save him, but he didn't make it…"

"I don't believe that, Amanda," he said flatly.

Amanda scowled. "I don't care what you believe! And I am not Amanda! I am _Katy_!" she screamed at him.

Spencer gave her a scathing glance.

"You aren't _my_ Katy…" he pushed out the words before he considered them, the drugs screwing up his filter.

"What did you say to me?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Spencer shook his head, trying uselessly to clear it. Hearing the sound of a motorcycle pulling in front of the motel room, he tried to look out the window…

He could tell by the sound of the motor that it was Juliet.

Amanda listened to the heavy rumble, noticing Reid's smirk. She moved off of his lap to move the curtain aside, looking outside. When she saw Scarlett dismount the motorcycle and head towards the door, she eyed up Spencer.

" _That's_ my Katy…" he grinned foolishly. Closing his eyes for a second, he fought against the gray that faded into his vision.

"Are you kidding me?" she picked up a gun from the table. "You left me for that? A biker bitch?"

Reid tried to focus on the gun in her hand, not trusting the drugs she had taken… or himself for that matter. He felt disconnected and terribly hot…

"My avenging angel," he said with a shake of his head, remembering what Derek had called her…

Amanda heard his words and froze.

Scarlett stepped up to the door number that Amanda had said to meet her in. Keeping her hand towards the small of her back within easy reach of her weapon, she rapped on the door heavily.

Amanda did not answer.

When she tried the knob, the door opened easily. Cautiously, she pushed the door open wider and saw Spencer slumped over in a chair.

"Fuck…" she scanned the interior of the room quickly as she ran over to his side.

"Spencer, Spence… come on farm boy, wake up…" she slapped his face lightly, trying to bring him around. When his eyes fluttered open, catching her worried gaze, he smiled at her.

"There you are…" he said.

Scarlett brushed his hair out of his face.

"I didn't want you to come," he told her quietly, his eyes rolling back then refocusing on her face again.

"I know, boy… Stay with me, sweetie…" she whispered, seeing the scratches on his cheek and the distant look in his eyes.

"Where is Amanda?" she asked. "Where did she go Reid?"

Spencer shook his head. "It's not Amanda," he swallowed, trying to remember what he'd wanted to tell her.

Scarlett pulled her knife from her boot, cutting him loose from the chair. Spencer slid to the side almost falling to the floor. She caught his shoulders.

"Stay put…" she ordered, watching his eyes. His pupils were dilated into tiny pin pricks. "Spencer… stay- right here…"

He nodded, licking his lips nervously. "Stay with me…" he told her.

Scarlett looked towards the door. "I'll be right back, boy… I promise…" she kissed his forehead, turning away.

There was no way she was letting Adam walk away from this…


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

Amanda stood in the shadowed corner of the next room, watching the adjoining door. She saw the handle move…

Finding the door locked, Scarlett backed up a step, breaking it in with a solid kick from her heavy boot. She scanned the darkened room…

Spencer shook his head, trying to clear it again. Scarlett was in danger, in the back of his mind, he knew that- but he couldn't remember why… When he tried to stand up from the chair, his knees buckled and he faltered, grasping at the bed, falling onto it.

"Reid!" he heard her shout. He felt a rush of relief that she was still close.

"I told you to stay put," she warned him, helping him sit up on the bed.

Scarlett heard the sirens coming into the lot. She also heard the next door open and shut…

"The team is here, Reid. Stay. Right. Here."

"Scarlett… She wants to kill you- she wants me to suffer…" he warned her. _There was something more_ … he thought, but his drug hazed brain wouldn't let him _think_ … he grabbed her arm.

"Mercy…" he told her. Scarlett met his eyes.

"It's okay… the team is here, they'll back me up- we'll get Amanda…" Scarlett told him, slightly confused. She squeezed his shoulder.

Instead of waiting for the others, Scarlett entered the next room, following the way Amanda had left.

When she reached a breezeway, she saw the woman heading towards the embankment that led to the freeway.

Scarlett pulled out her weapon, catching up with her in moments.

"Stop right there!" she shouted. Amanda froze, turning slowly to meet Scarlett eye to eye.

"Don't do anything stupid, Amanda!" she warned.

"He will never forget me… No matter what, from now on, he'll always remember me- he'll know… they'll all know…"

"He'll know _what_?" she gripped her gun tighter.

Scarlett sucked in a tense breath at the sardonic smile that came to her face.

"He knows…"

Scarlett lifted her weapon, sighted it, and pulled the trigger.

Morgan heard the shot and raced behind the building. He saw Scarlett, watched her step back as she lowered her weapon.

"Katy!" he ran to her side, pulling the gun from her shaking hand. "I got this… go to Reid."

When she didn't respond, he raised his voice a bit.

"Scarlett- Reid needs you," he ordered. "Go!"

Scarlett looked up at her brother. He saw her eyes change from blank to concern at his words. She nodded once, turning to head back towards where she'd left Spencer.

Morgan blew out a tense breath, shoving Scarlett's weapon into his waistband.

Scarlett reached the doorway, seeing Rossi standing over Reid. Spencer picked up his head, his face full of apprehension.

Rossi moved back a step, catching Scarlett's eyes. She shook her head slightly before she moved to take Reid into her arms.

Spencer wrapped his arms around her waist, laying his head against her shoulder, tuning his face into her neck.

Dave stepped out of the room. He met Hotch's gaze.

"Adam's gun is on the floor, over in the next room. He dropped it when he ran," Rossi told him. "We're going to need it for evidence, along with the drugs on the table…"

Aaron nodded. "We'll have the locals collect it…"

They both watched as Morgan brought Adam through the breezeway in cuffs. He walked him passed them, shoving him into the back of a car.

"He doesn't get out this time. We don't take any chances of him getting off on a technicality…" Hotch finished, turning to instruct the officers on scene.

Spencer watched as Derek led Adam past the doorway in handcuffs. He looked up at Scarlett.

"You didn't kill him," he whispered softly.

Scarlett ran her hand over his hair, watching his eyes. She could see the love there, despite the drugs overtaking his system.

"No, boy. You asked me for mercy…" she said simply.

Spencer licked his lips, scowling slightly. He tried to remember what he needed to tell her. His mind replayed the image of seeing the gun falling from Adam's hand. He remembered the young man's face… Reid had seen _Adam_ in those eyes and Adam was afraid… Adam ran…

"Katy- Amanda… she's gone- she let Adam come back…"

Scarlett nodded, thinking she saw something different in the eyes when she'd been talking to him…

"Because she wants us and the courts, to feel sorry for him. He's a lost, confused and sick boy…" Scarlett looked down at his face, touching his cheek lightly.

"I can't Spencer. I can't feel sorry for him. Please don't ask me to…" she touched the scratches on his jaw. "I've given him as much mercy as I can… he lives."

Spencer nodded, resting his ear back over her heart. "That maybe a worse punishment…"

"He'd dropped the gun, Katy…" his mind couldn't focus on finishing one thought before another, so he rambled.

"He'd come back, because she'd gotten scared when she saw you pull up," Reid said thickly, squinting as he tried to remember. "Amanda was calling herself Katy- she panicked when she saw you and Adam came back…"

"He dropped the gun and ran. You would have shot an unarmed man…" he shook his head.

"I didn't Spencer. It's okay. I won't be in any trouble…"

"When I heard the shot- I thought…"

 _He knows_ … Scarlett thought about what Adam had said. He'd wanted her to shoot him- to kill him- so Spencer would always know that she'd killed him while he was unarmed…

Would it change anything between them if she had? If he knew she could?

"I fired a warning over his shoulder when he reached for his pocket. I didn't know if he had a gun there or not, Reid. I couldn't chance it. But once I fired the warning, he kept his hands up. I didn't need to shoot him…"

She sighed heavily, letting the truth come out. Spencer needed to know the truth.

"I wanted to. I thought… It could have looked justified. I thought he may have a weapon…" she looked down when he turned his face up to meet her eyes.

"I could have killed him easily," she admitted calmly. "But you asked me for mercy, so I showed him some," she stated.

"Only for you, farm boy… only you could pull me from that dark place," she whispered, stroking his face lightly with her thumbs.

"You are the only one who can silence my demons. So today, Adam lived."

Spencer felt her finger trip lightly over his skin and swallowed roughly. He tried to stand again, finding his legs still too weak. He pulled her down to him instead.

Scarlett felt the desperation in his kiss, giving in to it for the moment.

He lifted his hands to the back of her hair, threading his fingers through it, holding her close. When she tried to pull back, he kept his grip, holding her tighter.

"Spencer," she breathed out his name, feeling his kiss turn into something more.

Need and lust began to burn though him…

"No!" he growled when she tried to pull back once more. He bit at her lips, trying to deepen the kiss.

"Reid…" Scarlett was all too well aware of the people filing in through the room to give in to him. "Come on, boy. This isn't you… it's the drugs…"

"Don't. Care." he said roughly, pulling her closer. Scarlett felt him grab her hips, rubbing against her. "I want you… _now_!"

 _Ho, boy_ … Scarlett held herself in place, changing her stance so he couldn't drag her down onto the bed.

"Reid!" Hotch's voice rose, catching their attention. Spencer curled his lip in a snarl.

Scarlett stood in front of Reid, blocking him and met their supervisors scowl with her own.

"It's not his fault!" she defended Spencer. "It's the drugs, Hotch… You can't blame him!"

Rossi picked up the bag on the desk. "It looks like a little bit of everything…" he looked at Hotch also. "Rohypnol, Ketamine, ecstasy …"

Hotch closed his eyes and sighed. "Date rape drugs…"

Scarlett saw the concerned look that passed between them.

"Reid, you have to go to the hospital," Dave told Spencer gently, moving closer to set his hand on his shoulder. "They need to check you out and get the drugs out of your system…"

Spencer shied away from Rossi, wrapping himself around Scarlett. "No…"

"Come on, pretty boy," Scarlett's voice drew his attention. "Let's go… we'll let them check you out, and then we'll go home…"

Her voice was the only thing he could focus on clearly. Her face, her scent… Spencer pressed his face into her neck.

"You'll stay with me?" he asked her. "I need you…"

Scarlett sighed. "I'm not going anywhere, boy. I'll be right beside you the whole time, I promise…" she swore, brushing back some of his hair from his face. Sweat beaded on his forehead, running down his temples and she wiped it away.

"You look like an angel," he breathed out, watching her face.

Scarlett shook her head, giving him a soft smile. "Only to you, darling…" she appeased him.

"I want you," he repeated, moving his hands to grab her ass.

This time Hotch only rolled his eyes. "Get him to the hospital Ryan, before he says or does something he really regrets…"

Scarlett chuckled. "Come on, sweetie. Let's get moving. We're embarrassing the kids," she giggled.

"Can you stand?" she maneuvered herself under his arm so he was leaning on her.

Reid held on to her tightly, running his hand up over her breast. He scowled slightly at the leather and protective vest in his way…

Scarlett grabbed his hand, pushing it away.

"You're so tiny," he said, looking down at her with a silly grin. "I could crush you," he smirked.

"You can try… later," Scarlett teased as she led him out of the room.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Morgan maneuvered Juliet back into the parking space at the apartment. He walked around the building just as Scarlett was opening the door to help Reid out of the SUV.

Penny came around from the driver's side and was attempting to help his sister manage to get him on his feet.

"Are you sure you don't want us to stay and help?" Garcia was asking Scarlett. Spencer bent low over them, turning to Scarlett and biting her neck.

"Arrgh!" Scarlett pushed her shoulder against him again, straightening him off of her. His advances were becoming harder and harder for her to fight off… especially with her own libido running in high gear.

"Stop!" she reprimanded him. He scowled but dropped his hands from her breasts.

"No- guys, really- there isn't anything you can do…" she told them as she led Spencer towards the stairs. "He's fine; the doctor said the drugs just had to wear out of his system…"

Derek saw her swat at Spencer's hands once again. "Good luck with that," he told her, following them up the stairs, just to make sure they got inside.

"Go away…" Spencer told him dryly. "I want to be alone with Katy," he growled. He looked down at Scarlett, seeing her roll her eyes at him. He grabbed her hips again, pressing himself against her.

Scarlett half dragged and half pushed Spencer inside.

"I can handle him," she reassured the both of them. "I'm going to make him some tea so he'll sleep most of it off…"

"That's probably for the best," Penny agreed, watching as Reid stared at Scarlett. He didn't look like he would go to sleep easily…

Spencer watched Scarlett standing in the doorway, saying good bye. It was taking too long… he reached out to grab her, pulling her back against him once more…

"Go…" Scarlett shook her head. "I'll deal with this," she said, closing the door as they left.

"Thank God!" Spencer shoved her back against the wall, latching on to her mouth.

"Spence… come on, easy boy…" she splayed her hand on his chest, nudging him back a step. "Let me get you something to drink," she said, side stepping his next move.

"I don't want something to drink," he sulked, reaching for her again. He scowled when she moved away and missed her. "I want you…"

Scarlett headed into the kitchen, sensing him following closely.

"No, Reid- you don't… it's the drugs…"

"I want you, I need you… Scarlett…" he pulled her close, biting at her neck, moving his hands to frame her face, capturing her lips under his. "I don't care-"

"Spencer. You do care…" she let out a sigh. The fact he didn't mind that he was in a drug induced haze gave her more worry than his actions. If he was in his right mind, he'd be struggling with the fact that he'd been drugged and concerned because of the side effects. Since he stood there defiantly instead… that told her the drugs were still in control of his mind.

"Stop telling me what I feel," he snapped.

The tone in his voice brought her eyes to his. He frowned darkly.

"You always try to tell me what I feel…" he snarled a bit. "I know what I want… I want you under me, now… I want to-"

Scarlett closed her eyes for a second and felt him move closer. She grabbed his arm when he reached out for her, without having to see his movement, startling him into silence. Holding it tightly, she watched his reaction.

Spencer looked down at her hand, a bit amazed that she could hold him like that and that she caught him with her eyes closed. He raised his eyes to hers in surprise.

"I don't tell you what you feel, boy…" Scarlett explained. "I know you. I can feel you with every cell and every sense… and I know you enough to know that you don't let drugs take over your mind. So, I won't let you do anything that you may regret."

She turned her back on him, opened a lidded container, and scooped out some dried herbs into a tea strainer. Moving over to the stove, she set a kettle on to boil.

"Maybe I don't want to be in control all the fucking time… maybe I like this feeling, letting loose the crazy- being reckless, not caring about consequences…" he stepped up to her back, reaching around her waist to hold her between himself and the counter.

Scarlett turned in his arms to face him.

"You don't have to hold your control with me, Reid. You've managed to learn how to unleash the crazy without drugs to blame. I don't mind you being out of control. I do mind when it's the drugs _in_ control though…"

"I want you," he pressed himself against her. Scarlett could feel his need against her stomach as he pushed her against the countertop.

"Spence, please…" she sighed, hating to keep turning him down.

"Katy, please… I need you. I need you so bad, it hurts…" he begged.

Scarlett pulled back a little when the kettle began to whistle.

"I'll make a deal with you, farm boy," she told him, ducking under his arm. She took the teapot from the stove and poured it over the strainer.

"You drink your tea, and we will go to bed. If you haven't changed your mind- if you still want me… then I'm yours," she offered.

"You'll drug me," he scowled.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "You _are_ drugged," she corrected him. "The tea will flush out the drugs."

Spencer eyed up the mug suspiciously. "I drink the tea, then you are mine?" he asked.

"I'm already yours, boy," she reminded him softly. "Nothing changes that. But I want you to think clearly. I want you to be able to remember being with me. I want you to make the choice to be out of control…" Scarlett boosted herself up onto the counter top so she was sitting eye level with him. She touched his face softly, running her thumbs over the scratches.

"I want you to know you are with me, Spencer. I don't need you drugged to want me…" she said.

Spencer's mind cleared momentarily, hearing her words. It brought out an image of Amanda leaning over him… and he shivered against the thought.

Scarlett saw it…

"That's it boy. That's why I want you lucid. You are mine, heart, mind and soul. I don't want those thoughts intruding…"

Spencer licked his lips nervously and backed away from her a little. "Alright," he agreed, taking the mug when she handed it to him.

"How long before it works?" he asked her, setting the cup aside after finishing it.

"It's different for everyone, I can't tell you that…" she shrugged, watching his face.

He closed his eyes, shaking his head to try and clear it.

"Will you- just, hold me for a while? Until it works?" he asked quietly.

Scarlett hopped down from the counter, tugging him behind her and into the bedroom.

Spencer looked around the room, shifted his hands through his hair and watched her turn the bedcovers down. Scarlett turned on the speakers, plugging in some softer music to help relax his mind.

"I- I want to get a shower," he told her. His voice sound strange to his ears, louder than usual and a bit shaky. He saw her raise a brow.

"I'm not getting in with you," she told him. He shook his head.

"No- I know… I just…" he pulled at the shirt, sticky with sweat. It was a scrub shirt from the hospital... He saw some blood on the front and remembered the scratches on his face. He shivered involuntarily.

"Throw these out," he told her, yanking off the scrubs as he headed into the bathroom. They'd taken his clothes for evidence at the hospital…

He was beginning to remember.

Scarlett picked up the trail he'd left, standing at the door, waiting until she heard the shower running. She fought against the tears, worried about what was running through his mind right now.

She took the borrowed clothes, bagged them up and went outside to throw them right into the dumpster.

By the time she returned, she'd found her own control, and headed towards the bathroom. The shower was still running full force. She pushed open the door, moving into the room quietly to sit and wait.

Another thirty minutes later, he shut off the now cold water and stepped out. He stood stock still, dripping on the floor until Scarlett moved into his line of vision, wrapping him in a towel.

"Are you okay, sweet boy?" she asked gently.

Spencer looked down at her, his face unreadable.

"I'm fine…" he said, but when she reached out to touch him, he cringed.

"Ah, sorry," Scarlett closed her hand, dropping it to her side. "I'll wait… out here…" she stepped back towards the door, turning back into the bedroom.

"Katy…" he breathed out her name, feeling his face heat in a blush. "Uh- at the hospital… they did a rape kit…" he said, his voice lowered to just a whisper.

Scarlett didn't turn around, hearing the tension and nerves in his voice. He was starting to remember, now that the drugs were out of his system…

"Yes, farm boy," she said just as quietly. "I know." She'd stayed at his side while they processed the evidence.

She closed her eyes, a part of her wishing he hadn't remembered that part of the ordeal.

"Why?" he asked.

"Because you couldn't remember. You'd been given those drugs- and rape was a part of Amanda's M.O. darling…"

Spencer leaned his arms onto the counter, avoiding looking in the mirror.

"I still don't remember," he told her. "I can't remember…"

Scarlett sighed, turning slightly to look at him. Seeing his position, his head lowered, eyes closed as he clenched his hands into fists, broke her heart. She wanted to comfort him but wasn't sure if he was willing to let her.

"Spence… those drugs sometimes cause amnesiac effects. You may not ever recall everything completely," she warned him. He shook his head.

Scarlett waited for a moment, staring at his back. She left him alone with his thoughts, turning back into the bedroom.

Spencer felt her absence the moment she'd left. He straightened himself, looking into the mirror, meeting his own eyes. He scowled, seeing the scratches on his face. He couldn't even completely recall how he'd gotten them. He glared at himself, angry at his own weakness, angry at his stupidity that allowed him to get jumped in the first place, and mostly angry that he couldn't remember hardly anything that had happened while he was under the drug's influence.

He made a fist, punching the mirror, turning it into a web of glass. He glared into the fracture.

It made him feel a little better.

He turned to follow Scarlett.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12

"Is that worse? Not remembering?" he asked her. He saw her stop for a moment, her back to him while she removed her clothes to slip on one of his t-shirts to wear to sleep in.

Scarlett stiffened. "That depends…"

"On what?" he bit out, that anger he felt still tingeing his tone. He stared hard at her back, seeing the scars and healed cuts that crisscrossed her flesh. How had he never noticed how badly damaged she was? He scowled at himself, unsure of where that thought had come from.

"On the person I guess…" she breathed out a tense breath, still not turning around.

Instead, she looked at his reflection in the large mirror over the dresser. She saw him studying her back and she knew he was looking over the newest scars that had been added to her collection. She dropped his shirt into place, covering herself.

Some scars never heal completely.

Sometimes they were just below the surface, waiting to bleed again…

"I'd give almost anything to not remember…" she told his reflection softly.

He picked up his head at that, meeting her eyes quickly.

"Oh, Jesus… Scarlett- I'm sorry- I'm so sorry… I wasn't thinking…" he pleaded with her.

How had he forgotten everything that she'd gone through, how her own father had beaten and raped her for years? The thought made him feel sick to his stomach, as well as angry at himself for not thinking before he spoke. Reid watched her eyes closely for any sign of a flashback…

"Don't, Spence- don't be sorry," she turned now to face him fully.

"I am okay… I need you to see that, _know_ that… I am okay- so much so that you _can_ forget. That means a lot to me- that I've become so okay that it's not a defining part of me. So you remember _that_ , boy. That you'll be okay too- not matter what you may or may not ever remember…" she told him. " _You_ are going to be okay…"

Spencer watched her eyes, saw her lock her gaze to his, holding him there. He felt rooted to the floor, he couldn't move forward. He wanted to hold her, but he was afraid to move…

Scarlett heard the song change in the background to start playing 'Taking over Me' by Evanescence. She took a deep breath, letting the music and lyrics wash over her. Stepping towards him, she hoped that she was making the right moves for him. She didn't want to hurt him further, or make him face anything if he wasn't ready to try…

 _You don't remember me but I remember you  
I lie awake and try so hard not to think of you  
But who can decide what they dream?  
And dream I do..._

 _I believe in you_  
 _I'll give up everything just to find you_  
 _I have to be with you to live, to breathe_  
 _You're taking over me_

Spencer watched her silently repeating the lyrics. He read her lips, keeping his eyes locked to her face as she moved closer.

 _Have you forgotten all I know  
And all we had?  
You saw me mourning my love for you  
And touched my hand  
I knew you loved me then_

Scarlett stood before him, taking his hand gently, lifting it to settle over her heart. He felt the steady beat under his palm and closed his eyes, licking his lips nervously. When she stepped closer, he wrapped his other arm around her waist, pulling her against him. Scarlett felt him lean over her, holding her close as they started to sway together to the music.

 _I believe in you  
I'll give up everything just to find you  
I have to be with you to live, to breathe  
You're taking over me_

 _I look in the mirror and see your face_  
 _If I look deep enough_  
 _So many things inside that are just like you are taking over_

 _I believe in you  
I'll give up everything just to find you  
I have to be with you to live, to breathe  
You're taking over me_

 _I believe in you_  
 _I'll give up everything just to find you_  
 _I have to be with you to live, to breathe_  
 _You're taking over me_

 _Taking over me_  
 _You're taking over me_  
 _Taking over me_  
 _Taking over me_

"I don't know if I can figure out how to be okay, Katy," he warned her, his voice shaking.

"Then we will be 'not okay', together, farm boy," she told him, keeping her head tucked against his chest. She heard his breathing hitch slightly, but didn't pull away or try to look up at his face. Instead she only held him tighter, letting her fingers drift lightly up and down his spine.

Spencer filled his senses with her. He focused on her touch, the sound of her breathing, the scent of her hair… he nuzzled his face closer, kissing her temple…

Scarlett felt the kiss, so hesitant and light that it brought tears to the back of her eyes. She quickly tamped them down and lifted her face slightly to his. Watching him for a moment, she stood up on her toes, kissing his cheek softly.

She took him by the hand, leading him over to the bed. Spencer waited until she lay down before moving beside her. He pulled her closer into his arms, curling around her from behind. She felt him sigh.

"I love you Katy," he breathed out, the words fanning over her ear. Scarlett lifted his hand to her lips, kissing the back of it.

"As I love you, my sweet boy…"

She listened to the sound of his breathing for a while longer. He didn't drift off to sleep, although she knew the tea had to make him tired…

"I'm afraid to sleep," he mumbled, answering her unspoken question. Scarlett nodded in understanding. A part of him was afraid of remembering…

She turned in his arms, lying on her back, pulling him down over her heart. Spencer settled in against her chest, listening to its steady beat.

"I've got you Spence," she told him. "Sleep now… you're safe."

She kissed his hair, feeling his body relax against hers as he drifted off.

"I'll never let you go again," she told him, facing her own demon now, the one that blamed her for letting him walk into the trap in the first place. The one that told her that it was her fault that he was now going through this... the one that had told her to show no mercy when she'd had Adam dead to rights at the end of her gun.

She scowled into the darkness, listening to her music, trying to find her calm. It wouldn't come…

Just before sunrise, Scarlett felt him begin to tremble in her arms. He twisted away from her, jumping from the bed to stand shaking beside it. Sweat poured off his brow.

She was at his side in a heartbeat, holding him close.

"Spence, wake up. It's just a dream. You are safe…."

Squeezing his waist, she tried to pull him down towards the bed.

"No!" he shouted, yanking away from her.

"Reid- wake up," she blocked him from leaving the room. His eyes darted around wildly, as if he didn't know where he was…

"Spencer! Look at me!" she ordered, taking his arm once again.

His eyes finally settled on hers, locking on to them in the dim light. He panted heavily, feeling the panic start to ebb away.

Scarlett squeezed his fingers tight. "That's it boy. Deep breaths. In through your nose, out through the mouth… Okay?"

He followed her command, watching as she breathed along with him. Once his breathing settled, he stepped back from her, scrubbing his eyes roughly with the heels of his palms and sat back on the edge of the bed.

"Do you want to talk about it?" she asked, stepping slightly closer.

Spencer looked up into her face, taking her by the waist, pulling her into the vee of his thighs and wrapping his arms around her.

"I was dreaming that you walked through that motel room door, and Adam shot you…" he stammered. "I couldn't stop him- I couldn't move… it was like I was paralyzed."

The nightmare replayed in his head, seeing Scarlett's image getting off the bike, coming through the door, being shot dead…

"What made you take the bike?" he asked, the question coming back to his mind from earlier that day.

"I needed the speed- the maneuverability through traffic… He'd given me a time line, Spence and I had to get back here first to get my weapons and flak jacket. I couldn't go in unarmed or unprotected," she explained.

Spencer nodded, running his hand over her stomach. He vaguely remembered that she'd had on his leather jacket over the bullet proof vest. That she'd taken care to protect the baby…

"I think it scared him- her, Amanda I mean. When she heard the bike and looked out the window, she panicked…"

"Good," Scarlett nodded. "I wanted her to be afraid… I was going to kill her."

"But you didn't," he said softly.

Scarlett stiffened. "No."

"Because I asked you not to."

"Yes. Only that…"

Spencer shifted slightly, pulling her down onto his lap. He ran his hand over her arm, skimming her skin lightly with his touch.

"You'd have killed an unarmed man…" he said, not meeting her eyes. Instead he followed his hand, watching the trail of goosebumps his touch left over her skin.

"Without hesitation," she told him honestly.

Spencer nodded, still not looking up at her. He licked his lips, his brow furrowing slightly.

"Katy," he stopped, trying to think of how he wanted to phrase his words. He'd had the question on his mind for a while, and he kept pushing it away, not sure if he wanted to know the answer…

"You say that like you know you can. How do you know? How do you know you could?"

"Because I have…" she responded. He deserved to know how deep her demons went…

Spencer thought back to when she'd first joined the team. She'd still been under watch due to a questionable shooting involving the unsub who'd killed John Carter. Internal Affairs couldn't prove positive whether or not she'd seen the man had a weapon on him so the issue had been called into argument.

The fact that she'd told him that she'd emptied both clips of her service weapon and her backup into the man gave Spencer added concern. That level of overkill showed a blind rage. But since the Bureau couldn't prove that she hadn't seen the weapon that was found on the man, they didn't charge her with any misconduct. Instead, they'd kept her under their observation and evaluations for the next two years.

"Chicago?" was all he asked. Scarlett met his gaze steadily…

…and nodded once.

"I still don't blame you…" he told her.

She felt a loosening in her chest. Could it be that easy? Could he truly accept her, demons and all?

"Spence…" she spoke his name softly. "I killed a man, in cold blood. I don't regret it. And I'd do it again, if I had to… I would have killed Adam, without a second thought, I _wanted_ to…" she said flatly, trying to clarify for his benefit.

He raised a brow at her. "You think that changes something? That it changes how I look at you?"

"It should… it changed how I looked at myself," she scowled at him as she stood and began to pace.

"Why?"

Scarlett hesitated. "What do you mean, why? For fuck's sake Reid, I just told you I killed someone… I should be in jail- in the very least I should've lost my job… I-"

"You aren't, you didn't, because it was a gray area…"

She sighed. "Spencer. I am a murderer. I shot a man because I didn't want him to be alive anymore. Don't try to pretty it up…"

"Wow. Okay- you are carrying around a pretty heavy chip on your shoulder, aren't you?" he asked. Scarlett leveled her gaze at him. He just shook his head at her glare.

"You don't scare me, Scarlett," he reached over to tug her back onto his lap once again.

"I should," she scowled slightly. "I scare me…" she admitted, meeting his eyes.

Spencer shifted her onto his shoulder. "You don't scare me…"

"Why?" she asked, the question just a whisper over his skin.

"Because you are a good person, Scarlett. I know that. You would know that too, if you'd give yourself a tiny fucking break once in a while," he explained.

"You aren't a murderer- you wouldn't kill someone in cold blood…"

"I have…" she argued.

"No. You shot a cop killer. He was the murderer… "

"He should have stood trial Spencer. He was surrendering- and I didn't care. I wanted him dead, so I killed him."

She felt him kiss her hair. "You just watched someone you loved be murdered in front of your eyes, Katy. You weren't thinking clearly, whether you want to believe it or not. That's why you weren't put in jail or fired. Not because of a technicality… but because everyone could understand. Everyone gave you the break you wouldn't give yourself…"

Scarlett closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck tightly. _Maybe_ … she thought. Maybe it would be okay to forgive herself…

"I wanted to kill Adam, Spencer. I still do… I could have…" she admitted.

"You didn't. If you were cold blooded, nothing I said would have changed that. And I wanted to kill Rowan, Scarlett… I would have, without a second thought, if you hadn't asked me not to…" he reminded her gently. "So does that make me a bad person? Does that make my demons any better than yours?" he asked, shifting her slightly so he could look into her eyes.

He saw the unshed tears there, shining brightly over the green of her gaze. He kissed her brow, running a thumb across her face as one trailed down her cheek.

"No, no- I guess not…" she shuddered, tucking herself into his chest.

"I love you Spencer," she whispered. "You silence the demons…

Spencer held her tighter when he felt her tremble. "I love you crazy girl. All of you, including your demons…"


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13

Spencer watched Scarlett over the top of his book as she worked through her morning routine. She'd just completed the yoga and was moving into position for Tai Chi when she saw Reid move to join her on her small mat.

"You looking to spar pretty boy?" she asked, tugging her earbuds out.

"You practiced with Norie," he shrugged. "I watched the moves… I'm pretty sure I can replicate them," he told her, moving into stance.

Scarlett quirked a brow, noticing he chose the defense position first.

"Okay sweetie. Protect yourself…"

She moved slowly, making sure he did actually know the proper movements to counter each of hers. After running through the first series, she saw that he had actually been paying attention when she was instructing Norie.

"Good job!" she grinned at him. "Now, try offense…" she switched her position to block his moves.

Spencer paused, not liking the idea of taking a swing at her, even just in practice.

"You won't get past me, Reid…" she saw the hesitation in his eyes. "Give me some credit, farm boy," she teased.

"Alright," he frowned. "But if I actually hit you, I'm going to be really pissed," he warned her. He saw her roll her eyes.

"You will _not_ hit me Reid," she scoffed. "I have a black belt, for fuck's sake…"

Spencer startled at that piece of information.

"You do?" he questioned as he pushed through three moves in quick secession. Scarlett blocked him easily.

She tilted her head towards him and grinned.

"How did I not know that?" he asked, giving her a slight scowl, watching her closer as she continued the blocks through the next few moves.

"A girl has to have some secrets," she shrugged. She saw the scowl deepen.

Scarlett blocked his knee, then a punch, before moving forward with a fist to his chest. He blocked it quickly, proving he could improvise. She smiled.

"Ready for something harder?" she asked.

Spencer focused on her eyes. "I don't like that there are secrets between us," he groused, countering each move she made with a corresponding block. He felt the sweat roll down his back, noticing the burn in his muscles from the controlled movements.

 _This is more of a work out than the bench_ , he thought idly as his muscles trembled under the strain.

"I was joking, farm boy," she huffed out, mixing the routine up a little. She spun, throwing a kick in his direction. When he automatically caught her ankle, using his other arm to aim his elbow into her knee, she looked shocked.

"You didn't learn that from watching me and Norie," she stated.

"I've been watching videos, too," he shrugged. "I wanted to learn…"

"Ah, so you have secrets too?" she teased.

Spencer frowned. "I've only been watching in theory- practical application is much more difficult," he said, rolling his shoulder where the muscle now ached slightly.

"You could have asked me. I can teach you…" Scarlett offered, noticing his wince. "Just not all in one day," she said calmly, reaching over to rub at the cramp in his muscle.

"You don't want to over exert when you're just starting 'practical application'," she grinned.

"Controlling the moves and holding back is actually harder to manage. You have to maintain your force, working against the inertia that will help in a real fighting situation," she explained.

"I can't imagine either is 'easy'," he mentioned. "But I'd rather have a different sparring partner, if you want to teach me. I just don't like throwing punches at you…"

"Hmm. How about Derek? I can't say that I'd mind if I got to see the look on his face when you get good enough to knock him on his ass," she giggled.

Spencer grinned. "It might be sort of funny…"

"Cool. I'll ask him later." Scarlett headed into the kitchen to grab a bottle of water from the fridge. She put another on the counter top, sliding it over to where Reid pulled up a stool.

"We're going to have to move training to the gym at work," he said, looking back at the small mat over by the window. "There isn't enough room here."

Scarlett agreed. "No," she sighed. She looked up into his eyes. "When we do start looking for a bigger place, I'd like to have a room just for practice. I sort of miss having one…"

"Maybe a finished basement, where we can have other rooms off of it- one for our home office and one for you to use for your meditations and your altar- giving you some privacy there too," he mentioned.

"Mmm. That would be nice… but it would have to be close. I don't want a long commute. It'd take too much time away from home, and I don't like the idea of wasted time," she stated.

Spencer nodded. "And a yard. I want the baby to be able to play outside when he gets old enough… a swingset, sand box- that sort of thing…"

Scarlett began building an image in her mind. He saw her eyes go slightly unfocused.

"Maybe a pool… sidewalks to learn to ride a bike on…" she smiled softly, catching his eyes. "It looks like we are both thinking suburbs boy…"

"When do you want to start looking?" he asked.

Scarlett sighed. She walked into the living room and picked up her laptop.

"I guess we could start looking now," she said. "I hate moving…" she winced slightly as the baby kicked hard.

Spencer saw the grimace. "Are you alright?" he asked, moving from his seat to stand in front of her.

"Yeah," she shook her head, reaching for his hand and placing it over the baby. "I think the little guy liked the karate moves so much, he's practicing his own."

Spencer felt the foot kick him and knelt down in front of her. She felt her heart tremble, as she looked down at him.

He lifted her t-shirt, looking over her stomach, trailing his fingers lightly over where he could see their son kick. When the perfect impression of his foot pressed back against Reid's touch, Scarlett could see Spencer's eyes widen in surprise.

"Wow," he breathed out as he traced the foot. It disappeared for a moment before kicking again at his hand.

"Hey," he said softly. "Quit beating your mom up," he told the baby. "I'm trying to talk her into a place where you'll have a yard, so she's stressing out enough already, without you causing internal injuries," he teased. The foot disappeared again, and he saw the opposite side of her belly move.

Scarlett placed her hand over the bump. "His head," she told Spencer, taking his hand to that side. His thumb stroked lightly over it.

"Let me sit," Scarlett chuckled when the baby started moving around against his touch.

"Does it hurt?" he asked, looking up at her with concern. "It has to hurt," his brow furrowed a bit as he looked down at the movement once again. "He's everywhere at once…"

Scarlett touched his cheek lightly, bringing his eyes back up to meet hers.

"No, sweet boy. It doesn't hurt. Some of his bigger kicks get uncomfortable, but it doesn't hurt," she told him with a soft smile. "It feels amazing. I'm in awe, thinking about how he's growing in there," she placed her hand on her stomach beside his.

Spencer watched her face. "You'll tell me, if it hurts…" he stated.

"Yes, farm boy. I'll tell you. It will probably mean I'm in labor, when it starts to hurt- so I'll definitely be telling you…" she grinned. "Half of DC will more than likely know. And I expect you to stay beside me, to keep me from being too much of a mad woman…"

Scarlett watched him settle himself to the floor between her knees. He kept his hands over her stomach, running them gently over the baby.

"You'll be fine, crazy girl. You can handle anything," he told her, watching the baby move again.

His soft spoken praise touched her heart.

"With you alongside me, I can almost believe that," she told him.

"Only almost?" he grinned up at her. "I think in a few more weeks, you may need to be more committed than 'almost'," he teased.

"I'll just take it one step at a time. But just in case I don't handle it as well as you seem to think I will, maybe you should wear a cup…" she replied dryly.

Spencer blanched, looked back to her eyes and saw her wicked grin. He stuck his tongue out at her.

"Why do you think I've been learning to block?" he winked.

Scarlett laughed out loud, hard.

"Oh, God, Spence, you kill me," she snorted, covering her mouth to stifle the sound. "I love you so very much…" she giggled.

He saw her brush away a tear of laughter and grinned. Those sort of tears didn't bother him. He rubbed the heel of his hand over his heart.

"As I love you Katy… _pour tous les temps_ …"


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

Spencer entered the kitchen carrying some bags of groceries, thinking about a few things he'd had on his mind over the past week. Being slightly distracted, he was little startled to find two women he didn't recognize sitting at the table.

"Um, hi?" he said nervously. He looked over to Scarlett with a questioning glance. "I'll be out of your way in a minute…" he told her.

"No worries, Spence… we are just catching up," Scarlett smiled, noting the confusion on his face. He didn't recognize her friends.

She stood up to help him put away some of the items.

"Spencer… you remember Brooke Adams and Meaghan Starr?" she asked him, stressing Meaghan's last name, trying to jog his memory.

Spencer looked at the two women again. She could see him scowl slightly trying to make the connection. The older brunette gave him a smile, and the younger blond girl sort of nodded at him.

"I don't think your husband remembers us Scarlett," Meaghan smiled. "Not that I can blame him… or that I mind. I clean up pretty well, don't I sweetie?"

When the woman gave him a sultry wink, Spencer nearly dropped the milk he was handing to Scarlett.

"Oh- Starr…" he said, putting the pieces together. "And Brooke…" he turned his gaze on the younger woman. "I remember now… Wow," he commented honestly.

The last time he'd seen these girls face to face was when Scarlett was trying to help them get off the streets. They had been working girls, hookers- and they'd both helped with id-ing a serial killer who had been murdering prostitutes. Spencer thought back. It had been one of the first cases he'd worked with Scarlett…

"It's been over a year and a half since you've seen either of us, Dr. Reid," Brooke spoke softly. "I'm sure we look quite different," she offered a shy smile.

"Yeah, well, yeah…" Spencer stammered, unsure of what to say. He turned a baleful glance to Scarlett.

"Brooke called me earlier today with some news, I asked them to stop by," Scarlett told Spencer, including him in the conversation, trying to alleviate some of his shyness.

"She's been living with Starr- Meaghan, I mean," Scarlett corrected herself. "She received her high school diploma and has started college…"

Spencer noticed the proud look on Scarlett's face as she looked back at the girl. Meaghan's look mirrored that image.

"Congratulations," he told Brooke. "I'm glad to hear it," he smiled, genuinely happy at the news.

"I'm going to be a rehab counselor," Brooke met his smile with her own. "I wanted to tell Scarlett, because between her and Meaghan- well, I wouldn't have done it without them," she shrugged, looking over at Starr.

"We both helped each other," Meaghan stated, giving the young woman's hand a squeeze. "We got an apartment together, work our asses off in legit jobs, pay our bills and volunteer at the halfway house, helping other girls like ourselves," Meaghan told Reid.

"It's not easy, but it's worth it," she smiled.

Spencer nodded, watching the interaction between the two. It seemed like Starr had taken up an almost motherly position in Brooke's life. And it worked well between them, if he was reading their body language correctly.

"I'm glad things are going so good- for you both," he said, leaning back against the counter.

Meaghan met Reid's eyes. "Thanks," she smiled. "He's still too sweet," she grinned, looking over to Scarlett.

Scarlett giggled. "Right? Still too good for me…"

"Still shy too?" Starr laughed as Spencer blushed. "I guess that's a yes…"

"Megs, knock it off," Brooke smiled at Reid. "You are making the poor guy turn red…"

"It's a constant state for him sometimes," Scarlett passed him, patting his cheek lightly before sitting back down at the table to join her friends.

Spencer's blushed deepened. "Right… okay," he huffed out a breath, trying to will the heat away from his face. "I'm just going to finish this… there are a few more bags in the car," he mumbled, heading towards the door.

"Need any help, farm boy?" Scarlett asked, looking at him over her mug.

"No- uh, no, just… visit. I'll get it," he stammered, wanting the excuse to leave the room. His mind kept replaying the image of Starr leaning in to kiss Scarlett the first night he'd met her.

 _Very inappropriate_ … he winced at himself.

Scarlett watched him make his escape, raising a brow at Meaghan. "I think you still scare him a bit," she grinned at her friend.

"Huh," Meaghan looked at her nails, checking out her manicure. "Do you want to have some fun with him, freak him out some more?" she teased.

"Meg…" Brooke sighed and rolled her eyes to Scarlett. "Don't encourage her…"

"As humorous as it sounds, I doubt Spence would appreciate it," Scarlett said. "He's loosened up a lot in the past few months, I wouldn't want to drive him backwards," she admitted.

"Oh poo…" Meg wrinkled her nose in mock disappointment.

Scarlett laughed. "So tell me what you've been doing," she asked as she sat back in her chair.

Spencer heard them still talking when he came back inside.

"I still want to work with kids, but since I have the two busts on my records from five years ago," Meaghan was saying to Scarlett, giving a slight shrug. "I can't pass the background check to work in a school or daycare…"

Scarlett scowled. "That's not fair," she stated. "You've paid for that. You fought to get where you are, to better yourself and you've been clean for how long now?"

"Over three years, and off the streets for almost two of that… but I guess I can't blame the system. I made a lot of bad choices over the years…" Meaghan said. "I'm just grateful that I've stopped making them, and that I'm in a better place now."

"Still, you shouldn't have to pay for bad choices for the rest of your life," Scarlett said flatly.

Meaghan smiled at her friend's anger on her behalf. "I appreciate that, Scarlett. Really…" she reached over the table and gave her arm a squeeze. "It means a lot. But we'll be okay. Won't we Brooke? We keep moving forward… nothing stops us from reaching our dreams, even if it takes a while…"

Brooke nodded. "Better believe it!" she reached over, adding her hand on top of Meaghan's. Looking over at the clock on the wall, she patted her friend's arm.

"We have to get going…" she reminded her. "We promised second shift at the house…" Brooke told Scarlett.

Scarlett stood up with them to walk them to the door. "I wish you could stay longer," she said, giving each of them a hug. "I love texting with you both, but it was nice seeing you face to face…"

"We'll do it again soon," Meaghan hugged her back. "I want to meet your little one…" she grinned at Scarlett's belly. "Nothing like new baby smell…"

Scarlett laughed. "I promise you'll be one of the first to know when he comes, sweetie."

Brooke laid her head on Scarlett's shoulder, letting her wrap her arms tighter around her. "Thank you," she said simply.

"No thanks needed. I only pointed you in a direction. You and Meaghan did all the hard stuff," Scarlett rubbed the younger girl's shoulders. "You should be proud of yourself… both of you," she said, including Meaghan.

"Damn straight," Meaghan nodded as they left.

Scarlett closed the door behind them and headed back into the kitchen where Spencer was putting together dinner. She eyed up the vegetables on the grill, nabbing a mushroom and popping it into her mouth.

"It was nice to see your friends," Spencer mentioned off hand as he spread some oil into a skillet and began adding pieces of chicken. He saw her grab the mushroom.

"Careful crazy girl, that's still hot!" he warned her. He shook his head as she spit it back out and blew on it to cool it off.

"Yeah- I was glad they came over… I wasn't sure if they would, when I asked. I've offered before and they would always turn me down," she told him.

Spencer cocked his head slightly. "I hadn't realized you'd kept that close," he stated, trying to remember her even bringing up their names in the recent months.

"We'd text mostly. I offered a couple times, asking them to meet up- we've gone out for coffee… I've met up with them for lunch at the diner where Meaghan works, but they were always busy or had some excuse for not coming over here," she pouted a little. "I just thought maybe they weren't interested in being friends."

"Maybe they thought they'd be intruding in your personal life," he offered.

"Maybe," she thought about it. "But I can't see why, when I was asking…"

Spencer transferred their dinner onto some plates, taking it over to the table to cool while Scarlett set the table.

"I was thinking," Scarlett started her next sentence as she grabbed some silverware from the drawer.

"About what?" Spencer asked, taking the forks from her. He reached over her head to take down some glasses.

"Well, it's not fair that Meaghan can't get a public position with working in a school setting. She really loves kids, and she's done a great job, stepping in as Brooke's mother figure… She's been the driving force in getting Brooke to finish school and to go to college. She even helped her get the paperwork filed for her grants so college could be in her reach. Meaghan is a smart cookie…"

"Yeah, well, there isn't really much you can do about that, crazy girl… I'm sure she'll get something after her record clears…" he added, seeing her scowl.

"But, what if she took a private job- in the interim? I mean, like if she worked as a nanny, until it cleared? It would certainly give her resume a boost. And it would give her a solid referral in the field for when she applied at a school, rather than waitressing… Plus, since the pay would be better than waiting tables, Brooke could concentrate on her studies, instead of working to pay the bills. Meaghan takes extra shifts, as it is to keep Brooke from having to contribute too much."

"I guess," Reid shrugged casually. "But I don't know if she would have any easier of a time in the private sector. Most families do background checks too. And it certainly wouldn't look good if she wasn't forthcoming with the information- it'd look like she was hiding her past."

Scarlett watched him closely, unsure if he wasn't understanding what she was suggesting or if he was purposefully being dense because he didn't want to consider it…

"And what if someone knew about her past, but was willing to overlook it- to take a chance with her?" she asked, keeping her eyes locked onto his profile.

Spencer set the glasses down on the table. "That'd be asking a lot of someone, especially since you're talking about trusting them with family…" he picked his head up and met her eyes.

And finally noticed the question in them.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Scarlett saw the moment he figured it out. She watched his eyes change from quiet consideration to shock and disbelief.

"Oh. Scarlett. Come on. You can't be serious…" he shook his head, laughing a bit nervously. He saw the intensity in her gaze and knew she was completely serious.

"Why not?"

"Katy- really? You'd trust a reformed hooker and drug addict with the care of our baby?!" he asked incredulously.

Scarlett raised a brow at him.

"Key word: reformed… Yes. I would trust Meaghan with our child. I wouldn't have brought it up if I hadn't…" she reminded him.

"I don't think the subject of daily care for an infant can be left on trust that may be misguided…" he warned her, becoming agitated by the thought.

"Misguided?" she responded, feeling like a match had just lit her temper. She tried to tamp it down…

But then he added fuel to it…

"Look- you helped them get their lives straightened out… and they are doing good- and I'm thrilled for them, really, I am… but I don't think that just because you want them to succeed so badly so you can know you helped is a good enough reason to offer Starr a job in our home, taking care of our family," he said flatly.

Scarlett's face showed surprise. "You think this is about me?" she squeaked in shock. "Really? For what reason? So I could to pat myself on the back and say 'Good job, girl- you really helped turn that one around'? What the hell, Spence- what kind of a person do you think I am?" she scowled at him darkly.

"No- you're twisting my words…"

"Then explain…" she crossed her arms over her chest.

Spencer noticed the defensive stance and sighed, scrubbing at his face.

"All I meant was that I realize it makes you feel good to know you helped… so if you could help her further, of course you'd want to do more…"

"Oh, of course," she narrowed her eyes a bit. "Because everything that motivates me in life is how it makes me feel 'good about myself'…" she snarked.

"Scarlett…" his voice took on a warning tone. "You don't expect me to really think that if you were looking at Starr's resume for the first time, that you would consider her background as appropriate for a nanny…"

"Actually, once I had _met_ her and _interviewed_ her, I would give her a chance, Reid. I don't hold people's pasts against them. It doesn't sound like you'd even consider interviewing her…"

"No. I most likely wouldn't. I don't think you would either- you aren't being honest with yourself. You are able to say you would now, for the sake of this argument, but…"

Scarlett sent him a scathing glance, moving away from him.

"Do you really not know me? Do you think what I say is just _lip_ _service_ for fuck's sake? That I don't follow up with my convictions?" she huffed tightly. The burn of the temper was turning into a wildfire…

"You are pissing me off, Spencer Reid. I think you might want to reconsider what you say before-" she had started to warn him as he interrupted her…

"She was a street walker just two years ago, Katy… and a drug addict a year before that!" he raised his voice slightly.

"And how many years does that have to bite her in the ass, Spencer, before you or others are willing to admit it is in the _past_ … how far ago does it have to be? Five years… _Ten_?" she ground out, her voice turning hard as she offered the question.

Spencer locked his eyes to hers. "I don't know…" he stated flatly, knowing she brought up that number because of his own addiction issue. He'd just recently passed that mark of his ordeal with Tobias Hankel. And he didn't appreciate her bringing it up…

"That's totally different," he scowled. "You know that's not the same," he snapped.

"How so?" she glared at him.

"What? What do you mean, 'How so?'- for fuck's sake Scarlett- I was kidnapped, tortured and had the drugs _forced_ on me… How can you even say that!?" he stepped up to her, glowering at her.

Scarlett met his gaze levelly, her own anger snapping in her eyes.

"And who forced the needle under your skin in the following months, _Reid_?" she asked furiously. "Where is your excuse for that?"

His face turned pale and he clenched his teeth tightly. Scarlett watched as a muscle ticked in the corner of his jaw. She knew that was hitting below the belt, and felt a twinge of guilt for it, but she held her ground, trying to force him to see what she was saying.

"So, I'll ask again, Spence. How long does someone pay for their past?" her voice taking on a quieter tone, attempting to soothe the burn of her words. She reached out her hand to touch his arm but he pulled away.

He didn't answer, just stood before her, shaking slightly with anger. "No. Don't…" he snapped, backing up from her. "Just, don't…" he moved around her, avoiding her eyes and headed towards the door.

He pulled the keys for Juliet off the hook on the wall. "I want to ride," he scowled at her questioning glance as he stalked out of the apartment.

 _Well, hell_ , she thought, noticing the tenseness in his back as he slammed the door. He was angrier than she'd realized…

Scarlett watched him leave from the window, holding herself back from going after him. She couldn't force him to understand her point of view. When she saw him pull out of the lot on the motorcycle, she let out a pent up breath, offered up a brief prayer for his safety and hoped he'd figure things out. Maybe the ride would clear his head.

To occupy her own mind, she cleaned up dinner, put away the food and washed the dishes all while blaring her music through her headset, drowning out her own thoughts.

Spencer found her on her hands and knees, scrubbing the floor when he reentered the kitchen over an hour later. He scowled at her back, still hurt and angry.

Scarlett felt his presence as soon as he'd come into the kitchen, but continued scrubbing, still trying to work off her own mad…

After a few more minutes, she felt him tug the head phones away from her ears. Music poured out from the speakers so loudly, it sounded like someone had turned on a radio.

"You're going to damage your hearing," he warned her for the millionth time.

"It's never loud enough to drown out the demons, boy…" she told him, struggling a bit to get back to her feet. Spencer took her by her hand, pulling her into a standing position, quickly dropping it once she regained her feet.

 _So, he was still mad_ , she thought. Which was fine with her, since she was too…

"It's that important to you- that you'd fight with me- to give her a chance?" Spencer bit out after a few minutes of them staring at each other. It was a stand-off as to who was more pissed…

"It's that important to me, that you'd understand there will always be gray areas…"

"You'd take that risk, with our baby… gambling on the fact that she'd stay clean?"

She cocked her head at him.

"I'm not gambling. I'm sure. Just as I'm sure you wouldn't go back…"

He winced at that. "You can't be sure. I'm not even that sure," he admitted.

Spencer saw her sigh. " _I'm_ that sure…" she huffed.

She considered him an addict, just as much as Meaghan… the thought circled in his mind. She'd put him on the same level as her.

He'd hoped that she hadn't seen him that way. But she'd said it, clearly.

' _Who'd forced the needle under your skin in the following months?'_ she'd asked.

Nobody. He'd made the choice to keep using.

He scowled. But he didn't use street drugs… wasn't that different? They were forced on him to begin with, didn't that count for something?

He wanted to ask her the question, but kept silent.

He looked over at her. Scarlett saw the worry and the hurt in his eyes. She shook her head, taking his hand.

"Spence. Stop please," she said softly. "I love you, farm boy. I will always love you. We can disagree, even argue- and it is okay. I will still love you…"

Spencer bit his lips together tightly. "I still love you, Scarlett. Nothing comes before that…"

"No," she agreed. When she stood on her toes to reach his lips, he didn't pull away. He leaned into her, capturing her mouth under his.

"Nothing, boy- I swear it…" she told him.

"We need to talk about this…" he scowled a bit, not wanting to continue the argument.

"I don't like arguing," he responded, meeting her gaze briefly. He saw her cheeky smile and shook his head.

"We aren't going to agree on everything, Reid," Scarlett warned him. "We are going to argue… it's natural."

"This is more natural to me," he said softly, picking up their joined hands, kissing her fingers lightly. He saw the dimples in her cheeks deepen.

"Mmm. My lover… I guess that makes me the fighter," she sighed heavily, pretending to be surprised by that assessment.

Spencer rolled his eyes.

"You could just make it easier, lover, and agree with everything I say…" she teased, giving him a nudge.

"Uh, yeaaaahh…" Reid rubbed his neck, looking up at the ceiling and then back down to meet her eyes. "No. Not happening…"

"Oh, well…" she stuck her tongue out at him playfully as she turned away from him. "Then you'll just have to put up with me."

"Ditto," he stated, tugging at her arm so she would come back to him.

"Kiss me again, Katy Scarlett…"

She saw the look in his eyes, the worry still there but held in check. She stepped into his body, reaching up to touch his face. Stroking her fingers lightly down his cheeks, she kept her gaze locked to his.

"Spencer Reid," she said his name on a sigh. "You are everything to me. My heart, my soul, my existence… Don't ever forget that," she whispered softly as she met his lips.

He let her kiss soothe away some of the rough edges that he'd still felt. After a few moments, Scarlett pulled back gently.

"Come on lover boy, let's talk…" she said as she led him into the living room.

Sitting on the couch, pulling him down beside her, she trailed a finger down his jaw to his neck. She saw his eyes drift closed under her touch, and then flutter open to look at her once again, this time filled with love.

"Mmm. That's the look I prefer to see in your eyes," she smiled softly. "My sweet boy…"


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16

"Are we going to argue now?" he asked softly, his eyes dropping from hers to study the toes of his sneakers, instead of meeting her eyes.

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck, leaning her chin on his shoulder.

Spencer hugged her closer, closing his eyes. He hoped like hell the answer was no…

He heard her sigh as she pressed her cheek against his, squeezing his hands.

"Let's do this, so we can drop the argument… I'll ask Meaghan if she'd even be interested in considering being a nanny, to interview for the position. She never mentioned it before, so it could be that isn't something she'd even want to do. If she says she would, you promise me you'll talk to her. You just talk… with an open mind. Ask whatever questions you want. If you don't like the answers, you get the deciding vote. Straight out veto, and I won't question it or argue with you about it…"

Spencer stiffened a little. "You'd trust me to make that call?" he asked.

Scarlett settled back, sliding around in front of him to sit across his lap and look up into his eyes.

"Spencer. Don't be purposely thick," she stated in a warning tone showing that his question tried her patience.

"I trust you with my life, and our family's lives. You know that. I will easily trust you to choose what is best for our son, and as long as you promise to hear Meaghan's story with an open mind… then I'll promise not to question your judgment."

She watched his face as he considered her proposal.

"I promise," he said finally, looking down at her. She saw the truth in his eyes.

"And I promise…" she responded.

Spencer held her close, dropping a kiss to her hair. He kept her tucked into his chest as he rested his chin on her head.

"I will always see myself as an addict, Scarlett…" he told her softly, bringing up the other concern on his mind, wanting to clear away any remaining parts of their disagreement.

"I know Spence. I know how hard you've worked at keeping those demons at bay, sweetie."

"They are always there- they never completely go away…" he mumbled. She heard his voice vibrate under her ear.

"No, many don't. We just keep them leashed…" she tried to pick her head up to look at him, but he gripped her shoulders tighter, holding her still.

"I chose to keep using- I liked the oblivion…" Spencer confessed to her. "And then last week…"

"Last week you had drugs forced on you again, babe. You didn't choose them…" she reminded him.

"I still liked the oblivion," she felt him shift uneasily with his admission.

"And yet you chose to not continue," Scarlett reminded him. "You know as well as I do Spencer Reid that the drugs are easily acquired, if you'd wanted to keep using instead."

She pulled back this time, not allowing him to hold her still. Lifting her hands to his face, she forced him to look into her eyes.

"We all make choices every day, Spence. Some more difficult than others, some with steeper consequences- but all choices. We are all a sum of the decisions that we make, sweet boy. I am very proud of you, who you are- heart and whole- from all of your choices. And I love you more every day, because you never choose to give up or give in to your demons…"

Spencer lowered his forehead to hers, closing his eyes as her words soothed the last of his nerves.

"I worry about making the wrong choices, Katy. I'm afraid they'll lead me away from you," he said, brushing his lips to her brow.

"That won't happen, Spencer. I'll stand by you, no matter what. I may fight with you if I think you are making the wrong choices, or I may even kick your ass… but I don't leave."

He sighed, wrapping his arms tightly around her, holding her close against his heart once again.

"Don't… please. Don't ever leave…"

 _And there it was again_ , she sighed. Scarlett ran her hands along his back, reaching under his shirt, stroking his skin. She wished like hell there was some way she could easily reassure him that it wouldn't happen, that she wouldn't leave- but his own insecurities still worked against her on that point.

"I won't darling. If I have to spend the rest of my life proving it to you, then so be it."

She lifted her arms up around his neck, pulling him down to meet her lips in a kiss.

Spencer moved his hands into her hair, deepening the kiss, taking what she was offering, filling himself with her taste, her scent, her touch… he moaned softly and she caught the sound with her mouth.

When she stood to lead him towards the bedroom though, he froze, stiffening his legs, not allowing her to maneuver him any closer. He pulled away from her touch.

"Katy…"

Scarlett took a deep breath, stopping herself short, reining in her passion. She looked up into his eyes.

"Spence… we need to talk about this, too…" she said gently, reaching for his hand.

They hadn't been intimate since the incident with Adam. She didn't want to push him, but if something was in the way, it needed to be discussed…

"Tell me what is running through your mind, sweetheart," she asked gently, threading her fingers into his.

"Tell me what I can do to make it better…"

"No… uh…" Spencer felt the blush start to burn his face and neck. "It's not- It's not what you are thinking…" he stammered. He huffed out a stressed breath, pulling away from her, running his hand through his hair, shifting back and forth on his feet.

"Okay?" Scarlett watched his nervous movements, trying to understand. "What is it then?"

"I want you… badly…" he started again, speaking honestly. "I just, don't know… uh… the results aren't back yet, from the tests…" he took a deep breath, attempting to get out what he was trying to say.

"So I don't know- because I don't remember- if anything happened… I might…" he sighed heavily, dropping down on the side of the couch, covering his face, scrubbing at it roughly.

"If I caught anything- If Adam had a disease of something… I don't want to give you an std," he finally pushed out. "I won't take that chance… so I have to wait, to find out if anything did happen, then I have to get tested…"

"Oh… Ohhhh," Scarlett's eyes widened. She hadn't thought about any of that. Looking down at the top of his head, she realized how hard it must be for him, worrying about so much- about things she hadn't even considered…

"Spence- I'm, just… sorry. I wasn't thinking- I thought you were… I don't know, dealing with other thoughts- I didn't think about that…" she said, stepping closer to him. She cupped his chin in her hand, lifting his face to look at her.

"Thank you," she kissed him softly. Spencer nodded, watching her eyes. He leaned towards her again, taking another kiss from her lips.

"I don't _want_ to push you away," he told her.

"I understand, and I'm sorry if I haven't made it easier for you, farm boy. I didn't realize…"

Spencer shrugged. "Katy- you couldn't do anything to make it 'easier'… you look at me and I want you," he gave her a shy grin.

She took a finger, trailing it down over his cheek, down his throat. He closed his eyes, capturing her hand in the crook of his neck, trapping it against his shoulder. She heard him growl lowly in his chest as his lips rested at the pulse in her wrist.

"How long until you get an answer?" she asked.

"They were _supposed_ to call me yesterday," he complained.

"Hmm. And you didn't have Penny just check your medical records when they didn't call?"

"I didn't- I didn't want anyone to know I was worried… not even you," he shrugged again.

"I can ask her to send it… she wouldn't question it, Spence. She wouldn't look… you know that…"

He sighed heavily. "I know. I can't keep putting it off, either- a part of me is afraid of what it might say…" he admitted, wrapping his arms around her waist to pull her closer.

Settling his ear over her heart, he listened to its steady beat, centering himself.

"Ask her, have her send it to you… then you look," he said quietly.

Scarlett held him there, running her hand through his hair. She took her phone out with her free hand, shooting Garcia a text. She kissed the top of his head and waited with him.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17

It took Penelope a little while longer to manage to hack into the hospital's records than she expected. She'd sent Scarlett a text apologizing for the delay as they waited. Spencer paced around the living room, his long legs eating up the area in only a few strides. Scarlett watched him turn again as she chewed on the corner of her thumb.

When they heard the notification that Scarlett received an email, she lifted the phone again. The subject was blank, with an attached file.

"Ready?" she asked, noting he hadn't moved from his position since the tone had rung. It had frozen him in place.

When he only nodded silently, she opened the file. Spencer moved behind her, tightening his arms around her hips, trembling slightly with nervous tension. She felt him bury his face in her hair.

She felt a weight drop off her chest after she read it, twice…

"Nothing… babe- it's clear… they found nothing. No evidence, no signs…" she told him.

"Oh, god," he pressed closer to her, hiding his face against her neck, feeling relief wash over him. "Thank God…"

Scarlett breathed in a sigh, her own nerves settling with his. Rubbing her cheek against his hair, she kissed his temple softly.

 _Thank you God and Goddess for taking care of mine_ , she added her own praise quietly to his…

She felt his hands at her waist turn her to face him. This time when she raised her face to his, taking her lips in a kiss, he didn't hold back.

Spencer all but dragged her along with him into the bedroom. When he lay back across the bed, she moved to straddle his lean frame.

"I want you, Katy…" he growled lowly. Scarlett felt a shiver run up her spine from his tone. She leaned over him, her hair curtaining them together as she met his lips lightly.

Spencer felt her nip at his bottom lip, pulling it gently between her teeth. He groaned, arching up against her, trying to get closer.

"How do you want to play this, boy?" she asked quietly, her husky voice reaching his ears and setting his blood on fire.

"Fast and hot or a slow burn?" she teased, rubbing against him. She chuckled slightly when his answer was only a strangled whimper.

"Hmm… ladies choice then," she supplied, unbuttoning his shirt. Running her fingers over his chest, she watched his face as her touch made him twitch, the furrow in his brow deepening.

Scarlett stepped away, removing her clothes until she stood before him in only her underwear.

"Lose your clothes too, Reid," she ordered without turning around. She grinned to herself when she heard him moving behind her to comply.

She felt his eyes on her as she turned her back, hooking up her phone to the speakers and entering her playlist. The music she chose filled the room.

Spencer listened to the track, recognizing the song "A Thousand Years" by Christina Perri. He considered the lyrics he heard while he studied her back, memorizing her. Her curves and angles had changed over the last few months, he noticed. The alterations were slight still- his knowing eyes were probably the only ones that could have noticed… Now they trailed over her scars that he'd long ago committed to his heart, knowing that each one had a story, each one made up a part of her and who she had come to be.

Scarlett felt his hands on her back, his fingers tracing lightly over her flesh, raising goosebumps with his touch. She leaned into him, enjoying his bare skin pressed against hers.

"What are you thinking about, sweet boy?" she asked, turning around. He saw the slight smile on her lips and kissed it.

"You. How beautiful you are…" he answered huskily. Her breath stuttered in her chest at the intensity in his eyes.

"Beauty fades," she reminded him gently.

"Not yours," he shook his head. "I'm not talking about your outer beauty…" he trailed his fingers across the scars on her back.

"I'm talking about you," he breathed out, moving his hands to either side of her face, tipping her head back to look up at him.

"I'm thinking about all the things that have made you who you are- and how grateful I am that they led you to me…" he whispered, touching his lips to hers.

Scarlett wrapped her fingers around his wrists, blinking back the tears that threatened to fall. Her mind blanked as he leaned in to kiss her again, she couldn't think of anything besides him…

He noticed her reaction, the look in her eyes and used his words to seduce her, knowing she'd never forget even one…

"If I could go back to each time in your life… to any point when you got each scar on your skin or your heart, I wouldn't change a thing…" he whispered softly.

"Not even one- not because I wouldn't want to spare you the pain," he explained, tracing some of the scars, knowing exactly where each mark rode on her flesh from his memory. He kept his eyes locked to hers.

"Only because I'd be afraid that if I took away even the smallest one, it may change something in you, in who you are today… and I love that person you have become, so very much," he told her.

"So if I could go back, I wouldn't change a thing- but I'd let you know I was there… that this whole time, I've been waiting for you, just you… the perfectly imperfect person that you are…" he lowered his forehead to hers, dropping a kiss to her brow.

"I think I've been waiting lifetimes for you, Scarlett… I'd wait lifetimes more, if that's what it took to have you," he swore to her.

"Let me love you, Scarlett Reid…" he spoke the words breathlessly against her ear. "Let me show you how beautiful you are to me…"

Spencer looked into her eyes once more, seeing they were slightly unfocused and knew she was committing his words, this moment into her memories.

Scarlett held her breath, feeling her heart tripping in her chest as she listened to his words.

" _Pour tous les temps_ ," he promised her.

"I've loved you for lifetimes, Spencer," she said when she finally found her voice. "I will love you for lifetimes more…"

" _Pour tous les temps_ ," she promised him. She lifted her hand to his cheek.

"Show me…" she asked.

Needing no other invitation, Spencer lifted her into his arms, carrying her over to the bed. He set her down gently in the middle of it, and moved to the bottom.

Scarlett pulled herself into a sitting position, eyeing him up when he caught her foot by the ankle, dragging her towards the edge of the mattress. He knelt down before her, rubbing his thumbs lightly over her instep.

"You've got incredible feet," he told her, enjoying the look of surprise that moved across her face when he kissed the arch of her foot.

"So soft and small," he grinned, looking it over. He was able to span her entire foot with only a portion of his hand. Running his fingers over the sensitive skin of her soles, he heard her giggle when he tickled her lightly.

"Stop…" she laughed, her leg jerking involuntarily away from his touch.

"Everything about you is tiny," he teased, nipping his teeth over her ankle as he moved his hands up her calves. His lips follow his fingers, touching, tasting, bringing her between giggles or moans depending on where he paid more attention to… and he made certain he didn't miss an inch.

Scarlett felt everything at once. He was everywhere…

Dropping a trail of kisses from her hip to her thighs, he felt a surge of male satisfaction when she arched towards him, threading her hands through his hair tightly. His breath heated her blood as it touched her skin, reaching her sensitive flesh at the juncture of her thighs. When she felt him hook his fingers into her panties, pulling them off of her, she couldn't hold back a strangled cry.

"Spence…" she breathed out his name heavily. "Please…" her body bowed back, feeling like it was about to snap.

Drawing her right to the edge, he shifted himself to her side, watching her face.

"Come for me, darling," he told her, nuzzling her cheek lightly. "I want to see you come…"

"Ah, god…" Scarlett closed her eyes and bit her lips together to hold back the scream that threatened to tear loose from her throat with his words. She opened her eyes, locking her gaze to his as the orgasm rolled through her, weakening her body in its intensity.

Spencer held her eyes as he moved over her, uniting their bodies as one. She arched against him, the sensation of him filling her increasing her reaction, making her unable to hold out against it. He caught her scream with his kiss, stifling the sound.

She felt him tense, following his own body's response to hers as they completed each other. Her heart beat wildly against her ribs, she could feel it slamming against his when he dropped down over her heavily, wholly spent.

Spencer shifted to her side, pulling her over on top of him as he moved, unwilling to lose the contact but not wanting to lay his full weight against her. He ran his hands gently across her back, over her hips, stroking her skin, feeling her still trembling with aftershocks. He bit back a self-satisfied grin.

"I can feel your smirk, Reid," Scarlett mumbled weakly. He kissed her brow, smiling more fully.

"I had to make up for lost time," he teased.

"Is that so?" she responded, raising her head to meet his eyes. She traced his grin with a fingertip. "Nobody said you had to do it all at once…"

"Mmm, are you complaining?" he asked, nuzzling her neck. Scarlett chuckled.

"Nope, not a bit…" she giggled. "I'm just wondering, though- if that was a week, what are we going to be like for the six weeks after the baby comes?" she grinned evilly, reminding him of the suggested recovery time after birth.

Spencer rolled his eyes. He pulled her back down across his chest and tucked her into his heart.

"We'll deal with that then," he responded. "You may have to keep it down though…"

Scarlett slapped at his chest playfully. "You like it when I scream."

"Mmm-hmm," he kissed her hair, running his hand over her cheek. "I like it very much… Although I worry sometimes about management getting noise complaints…" he dodged her hand when she tried to poke at his waist. He laughed, rolling her to his side and clasped her hands together to stop her from tickling him.

Scarlett looked up into his face, seeing the laughter crinkling the corners of his eyes. She lifted a finger to trace the wrinkles there, trailing her touch over the crease around his mouth.

"I love you Spencer…" she said softly, her heart stuttering slightly under the intensity of the emotion.

"As I love you, crazy girl," he responded, leaning over to capture her mouth with his.

She shifted back over him once again, showing him how much…


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18

Scarlett stifled a yawn behind her hand as she listened to Hotch give everyone a rundown on the case file. Reid nudged a mug of coffee closer to her hand, caught her eye and winked at her.

 _Smart ass_ … she thought as he grinned, taking the offered jolt of caffeine. He seemed no worse for wear after not getting any sleep. Although he'd spent most of that time on driving her to the edge of sanity and back… six times… so her body and mind had been battered more than his. She thought of ways to even the score…

Spencer bumped her leg lightly under the table when she didn't respond to a direct question from Rossi.

"What?" she asked as she shook her head, trying to clear her mind. Dave raised a brow at her.

"I'm sorry," Scarlett apologized to him. "I'm a little tired and distracted. I think I need more coffee," she scowled into the empty mug.

"I can see that…" Rossi teased as Reid took her coffee cup to get a refill. "You okay?"

"Yes… fine…" she looked up at Spencer and blushed hotly. Reid's cocky smile only served to increase the heat in her cheeks.

 _Knock it off_ , she mouthed the words to him. When he bit the inside of his cheek to try to stop, she just rolled her eyes at him.

" _Anyway_ …" she huffed, irritated with herself. "Penny traced these threat letters back to a small college campus…" she indicated the file on her tablet.

"There were three and they were each sent from the same area, within a few weeks of each other. The journalist who received them had turned them over to the local PD in case they were credible threats," she explained.

"I was thinking, Reid and I can take a drive over to the campus, ask around the post office if anyone had noticed who sent them directly to the newspaper. We could get lucky and something may have stood out…"

Hotch nodded, looking between the two agents. "Alright, start there- check security footage also, if we can narrow down a date they may have been sent. Whoever sent them involved the FBI once they used the federal mail, so seeing our presence on campus may even flush someone out, if this was supposed to be a bad prank…"

Spencer looked over the case file quickly.

"Threatening to kill anyone who utilizes the labs? What is the reasoning?"

"The letters never clarified that. We don't even know if we are dealing with someone who is against the school itself, some of the policies, or the student and faculty… Really, as a statement, the writer has failed epically on making a point…" Scarlett shook her head.

"You ready for a road trip, boy?" she asked him.

"It's going to be like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack," Reid scowled.

"But yeah, let's see if anyone stands out… if they were just looking for attention, they may show themselves."

The team split up into smaller groups to look into different aspects of the case.

Spencer followed Scarlett out to the SUV, opening the passenger side door for her. When she boosted herself inside, she turned to him, capturing his tie with her hand.

He raised his brow, looking up at her.

"Stop looking like the cat who ate the canary, boy…" she warned him. "You are distracting me…"

Spencer tried for his most innocent look. "I'm not…" he watched her eyes darken at his protest.

"I don't mean to," he amended. "I swear…"

Looking around to make certain no one was watching them; Scarlett pulled him closer and captured his mouth under hers. Spencer stepped into her embrace, meeting her lips. She felt his smile broaden…

"Okay… get it out of your system now, farm boy… so I can concentrate on something other than your cheeky grin…" she laughed.

"What?" his eyes twinkled in mirth.

"Braggart…" she called him.

Spencer laughed. "I didn't hear you ask for mercy," he teased, kissing her cheek and locking her seatbelt in place. Scarlett placed her hand on his face and shoved him back out of the car. He shut her door, rounding the vehicle. When he climbed into the driver's side behind the wheel, he continued, enjoying the fact that he was making her blush.

"I'm just saying… it isn't completely my fault… After all, the superintendent called at four a.m. to ask _you_ to keep the noise down," he reminded her. Spencer saw her cock an eyebrow at him…

"Well, okay, indirectly that was my fault," his grin turned into a smug look again.

"Ugh. Spence… you are killing me…" she shook her head, her face heating in embarrassment.

Spencer gave her a sidelong glance, seeing the pink stain her cheeks.

"Not yet, Katy," he threw her line back at her. "I'm not done with you yet…"

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "I guess I deserved that," she chuckled, taking his hand, threading her fingers into his and giving them a squeeze.

He lifted her hand to kiss the back of it lightly.

"I'd say 'sorry', but I'm not…" he rubbed the back of her knuckles under his thumb.

"Arrrgh…" she let out a frustrated sigh. "I can't focus. I wish JJ were here…"

Spencer raised his brows in surprise. "What? Why?" he asked, half afraid she was planning on talking to their friend about last night.

 _Would she_? He felt his own face begin to burn.

Scarlett saw his blush and giggled.

"No, boy… not for that…" she tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Although I may have dropped a number to Pens… bragging rights and all," she grinned.

Spencer cleared his throat roughly. "So JJ then because?"

"Because if she were here, she could have come out to the college with me and maybe I could concentrate on the case, instead of looking over at you and thinking about how I want to jump your bones…"

He gave her another glance and swallowed hard.

"Scarlett…" his voice took on a warning tone… he knew what that look in her eyes meant. "We are on a case…" he reminded her.

"I know that, farm boy," she huffed. "Hence the problem with distraction… and stupid hormones…"

Her fingers moved over his leg to settle lightly on the inside of his thigh. When he felt her begin tracing small circles higher up on his leg, he clasped her hand into his once again. Scarlett smirked.

"Uh, yeah… umm… So when we get to the post office, you can talk to the supervisor, and I'll take the surveillance feeds…" Reid stammered, trying to get her mind back on the case.

Scarlett wrinkled her nose at him. "Right… you'll be able to scan them faster than I could, anyway," she agreed, trying to refocus her own wayward thoughts.

"It would be helpful if they do remember someone specifically, or at least a time frame to narrow it down…"

"We can hope," she agreed with a shrug.

After spending most of the morning speaking to the postmaster and other employees had yielded no helpful information, Scarlett head into the back of the offices, looking for Spencer.

One of the officials was standing behind him, watching him reviewing the security tapes. The man looked over at Scarlett, catching her eye.

"Your partner is up to two weeks' worth of footage," the man shook his head. "Is he actually able to keep up with this?"

Scarlett looked over at Reid's face, so intent on the screen that he wasn't even blinking. He hadn't even acknowledged that she'd entered the room, or that they were talking about him. His eyes scanned side to side, taking in every second with a glance as it ran on high speed.

"Yeah," Scarlett grinned slightly. "He has super powers," she teased.

The man watched him for a few more moments. "I'd have to believe you," he said as Spencer forwarded into another day. "Damndest thing I've ever seen," he muttered, shaking his head again as he walked away.

Scarlett chuckled to herself, moving closer to Reid's side. She set her hand lightly on his shoulder and he jumped, startled by her touch.

"Easy, boy… it's just me…" she said softly, running her hand over his hair at the nape of his neck. "Did you find anything?"

"Uh, no…" Spencer shook his head, trying to snap himself back into the present. He felt Scarlett's fingers stroking his skin and focused on that to pull himself back…

"I haven't seen anything unusual- nobody stood out, nothing that indicated that they were nervous, or threatening…" he looked up at her. "I got nothing…"

Scarlett sighed. "Well, our haystack just got bigger, then," she commented, hoping they'd have at least gotten a lead from here. "I guess we have to go talk to the dean of students now…"

"Looks like," he shrugged, looking around the office. He noticed they were alone, and pulled her in for a quick kiss. Scarlett met his lips fast, pulling away from his arms when he tugged her hips.

"Hey, pretty boy… the camera footage you are watching includes back here…" she warned him.

Reid's eyes darted to the corner where he'd known the camera was sitting. "Crap," he muttered, embarrassment heating his cheeks. He'd forgotten…

She laughed throatily, and his blood heated.

"Come on, sweetie… Let's go talk to the dean…" she tugged on his hand.

Reid sat across from Dr. Burns, the administrator of the campus, as he read over the latest letter that had been received that morning. Unlike the others, it had been hand delivered directly to the dean. He scowled at the handwriting, studying it before handing it over to Scarlett.

"We have to assume that the threat is valid," Spencer told the older man. "With this being the fourth instance, and now the writer is giving a time line…"

"We have increased security around the labs," the man stated. "We can't shut down the campus indefinitely. It's a ridiculous request…" he met Reid's gaze, talking about the demands made in the letter.

"Can you shut down temporarily, to make it look like you are following the order?" Scarlett asked, reading the letter for herself.

"No… the students have just returned from summer break… they will need the access," he explained.

"It wouldn't help us find the writer, either," Reid reminded her, knowing she was thinking of the safety of the students. "If we met the demands, he could just go under."

She sighed heavily. "I'm assuming you've at least let the students and faculty know about the threat?"

"We've issued a warning, letting them know about the increased security, telling them that we have notified law enforcement. Security has set up metal detectors around the perimeter. We've reassigned what classes we could away from the targeted areas, but some need the labs to function," Dr. Burns shook his head. "Some of the students are dropping those classes, but most seniors need the credits to graduate. One professor has taken a leave of absence, rather than chance it… so now we are in a bit of crunch, thanks to this," he scowled.

Reid raised a brow at that information. "Which class?" he asked curiously.

"Chemistry…" he answered and saw the two agents glance at each other. "Fourth year students need to be hands on in the labs- we can't move the class."

Scarlett gave Spencer a narrowed look. "I hated chemistry…" she warned him, knowing what he was thinking. He grinned at her.

"It'd be a good way to get inside the haystack," he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Ugh. I guess we're going back to school," she lamented as she pulled out her phone. "I'll call Hotch, see about getting clearance."

Reid watched her as she walked out of the office, turning his attention back to the administrator, laying out his plan to go undercover.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Scarlett sat in the back of the room, looking down at the podium where Spencer stood, playing his part as the interim professor. Around her the other students had already begun taking notes, so she pulled out her tablet from her bag, hitting record and hurrying to catch up. The class had started at the beginning of the week, when Reid had entered under the cover of Professor Ryan, the interim chemistry teacher. As part of her cover, Scarlett was transferred in late. She looked over the lab again, seeing Spencer face to face for the first time in four days.

His eyes met hers and held them briefly.

 _Ninety six hours thirty seven minutes and sixteen seconds…_ his mind whispered to him as he saw her take her seat in the class. He sighed inwardly and focused back on the work.

Already Scarlett remembered why she'd hated school… she dug into her purse for a pen so she could also take notes on paper. She looked up when one was handed to her and met the grinning eyes of one of the other students.

"Always be prepared," the young man whispered to her with a wink.

"Uh, yeah… not exactly my motto," she whispered back, eager to make connections with the students to assist with the case.

"New girl?" the smiling eyes asked, extending a hand to her in introduction.

Scarlett shook his hand lightly. "Boy scout?" she asked teasingly.

"James Thorne," he grinned. "Fourth year med student and former boy scout," he offered.

"Katy Jones," Scarlett introduced herself with her new persona. "Liberal arts major… Why they require this class, I'll never know," she frowned slightly, indicating the front of the room. "I hate chemistry…" she admitted truthfully.

James laughed quietly. "I have to finish these credits before I can graduate," he told her. "I specifically took this class because I heard the professor was a light touch. So when I heard he went on sabbatical and we were getting a replacement," he rolled his eyes towards where Reid was writing notes on the board… "Well, now I don't know what to expect…"

Scarlett sent the younger man a sidelong glance before looking at Spencer again. "I know," she sighed, pretending to be as surprised by the change as her classmate. "I'm hoping he grades on a curve…"

Thorne studied the floor ahead of them, reading the notes that Reid had scrawled across the white board. After jotting down a few, he looked over at Scarlett again.

"I've got lunch after this," he mentioned, avoiding looking at Scarlett directly. "Do you want a former boy scout to show you around campus, New Girl?" he asked her, giving her a hopeful grin.

Scarlett hit him with a bright smile of her own. "I'd like that, Boy Scout," she teased.

She saw the younger man's smile widen. "Great… good," he said, blushing slightly.

Turning her attention back to her notebook, Scarlett pretended to be busy as she surreptitiously scanned each of the students in the class. She would meet with Reid later to put names to the faces and wanted an idea in her mind for each one.

The class itself took only forty minutes, not giving her a lot of time to take in each person. She figured between this class and the two others Spencer was taking over for that she'd have an estimated sixty students to 'bump' into outside of class, to try to establish a profile for each one of them individually. Whatever she could add to Reid's assessments may help them narrow down the suspect pools. She knew he was also working through the other faculty with Penny doing background checks, to eliminate them from the lists. Or include to them, it that were the case…

She picked up her bag as class ended, stuffing her tablet away as James stepped up to her.

"I am at your service, New Girl," he bowed slightly, offering his arm to her.

"It's just Katy, Boy Scout," she laughed, resting her hand on his arm, letting him lead her out of the lab. When they crossed through the metal detectors that had been set up outside the doors, she looked up at her new friend.

"So… this is new," she mentioned, trying to get his take on the situation. James only shrugged.

"It's a sad commentary on the society in which we now live," he shook his head. "I heard the dean got a letter this week… someone is threatening to bomb the labs or something…"

Scarlett raised a brow. Or something… "You don't think they are serious?" she asked, letting some concern leak into her voice.

"Nah… probably just some student hoping to get classes cancelled for a while, buy themselves some time," he shrugged.

Scarlett reminded herself that these kids didn't know about the other letters that had been sent to the media. That had been kept under wraps to avoid causing panic within the campus, although she didn't agree with the decision. A little bit more concern for their own safety would have made her happier. It didn't seem like anyone coming and going through the metal detectors and security guards were overly worried.

"So what did you think of the new professor?" Thorne asked her as he gave her a tour of the grounds.

Scarlett shrugged indifferently. "As long as I manage to get the grades I need, I'll gladly sit through the lectures," she stated.

"Yeah- he's kinda dry," James added. "It must be worse for you knowing you won't ever need to put any of it to use…"

"I hope not… I'd probably create a toxic vapor that'd kill everyone…"

James pretended to stagger a bit as if suddenly overcome. "Alright, then, I insist you be my lab partner so I can make sure you don't accidently kill us all," he teased. Scarlett looked up at him through her lashes. The kid was definitely flirting with her now…

She allowed him to take her hand as he tugged her towards the cafeteria. When he didn't release it as they made their way inside, she pulled it gently from his, trying to ease back a bit.

 _Since when were kids so self-assured?_ she wondered, glancing up at him. He hadn't seemed to notice her rebuff, so she stuck close to his side, figuring if he was just that friendly, he could introduce her to some of the other students more easily.

Once they had grabbed something to eat, James steered her towards an over crowed table.

"Hey, everyone… this is Katy. She's transferred into the libarts classes from upstate…"

The people gathered at the table looked over to meet her eyes. One of the girls slid over, giving her room to sit at the table.

"Hi. I'm Melody…" a brunette offered her hand. "I'm surprised the talk has anyone new coming in our doors. Glad to hear it hasn't scared you off," she said, looking around the table.

James rolled his eyes. "Not you too, Mel…" he said. "Is that what has everyone wound up?"

One of the other young men met his gaze. "I'm surprised you aren't more worried, dude, seeings how your classes keep you hovering right around ground zero…"

James looked over at Katy. "That's Mike, pay no attention to him. He worries professionally…"

Scarlett cocked her head slightly. "I think being cautious is probably a good idea…"

"I agree," another girl joined in the conversation. "I'm glad they switched my class… I wouldn't be going into the labs right now…"

"Joy…" James nodded at the girl, using her name for Scarlett's benefit. "I'm not letting some asshat delay my chances of graduating on time…" he told her. "No way…"

"Well, it'd certainly put a delay in your game if said 'asshat' does open fire in the labs," Mike added.

"Open fire?" Joy looked around nervously. "I thought they were saying it was a bomb threat?"

The table started talking all at once again and Scarlett heard a bunch of the rumors all at once. She scowled slightly.

It was becoming obvious that the students each had various pieces of information, most of which were incorrect. She made a mental note to tell the administration that they would have to issue a clarified statement to the students. _And to their parents_ , she decided when she overheard one of the girls say she hadn't mentioned it at all to her mother, not wanting to worry her.

Scarlett's frown deepened as she considered if it were Noreen's school going through this right now, she certainly would not be sending her in… and she would fully expect to have been notified. Even though most of these kids were in their twenties, she couldn't imagine the parents not knowing about a clear and present danger. Considering that she herself was sitting here undercover was proof enough to her of that immediate threat.

That was downplaying the situation too much on the school's part.

James noticed Scarlett's frown and misinterpreted it.

"Hey, come on guys, you are going to scare off the new girl," he teased, bumping his shoulder into hers. Scarlett looked up at him.

"You really aren't worried?" Scarlett asked him. It sounded like most of the others were concerned on some level. His general easiness could be a façade- or he could know more about the situation to where it eased his mind. _Could he have written the letters?_ She wondered, keeping her gaze level to his.

She watched him shrug. "Everyone's gotta die sometime, right? If my numbers up, I'll be going out by a bomb threat or hit by a bus- you never know for sure…" he said, making a gesture around the table. "None of us know…"

"That's a fatalistic view, Boy Scout," Scarlett added the information to her memory.

"Our James is a realist," Melody stated. She smiled over at the young man and Scarlett saw the emotion behind her eyes.

 _Ahh, that explained the first look the younger woman had given her. Crush…_ Scarlett realized, giving James a little space. _So don't want to be a part of that drama_ … she thought to herself.

James didn't pick up on the interaction though, and only slid closer to Scarlett.

 _Crap_ … Scarlett met Melody's eyes. The younger girl gave her a stiff smile.

"So are you on campus or off?" Scarlett asked her, trying to make friends.

"I'm at Stella house," Melody said. "The co-ed complex… actually, most of us here are," she added, indicating the table.

"Oh," Scarlett looked over the faces again. "I was given a room there just this morning… I haven't even moved in any of my stuff yet," she explained. "My transfer came in late, so I just drove in this morning and jumped right into the classes…"

"Cool- we'll be neighbors then, too," James looked down at her. "Which floor?"

Scarlett pulled out her papers, pretending she had to look. "Second…" she answered. "4B"

"Ahh- one of the prize suites, new girl," Thorne teased. "You are stuck next to the RA," he said, telling her that her room was alongside the resident administrator, who would oversee the floor.

"Oh well," she sighed heavily, as if it were a surprise. They didn't know that Reid was actually placed as the RA for that reason. They needed to be able to keep close communications for the case. "I guess that's my punishment for coming into this late," she shrugged.

"It shouldn't be too bad," Melody interjected. "I heard the new guy is kinda quiet…"

"I think he's a cutie, in an awkward sort of way…" Joy grinned, pushing her glasses back up on her nose. Scarlett stifled a grin.

"The one who took over for Letz?" James asked. " _That_ new guy? Cool- I should be able to get some bonus points in if he's our RA. Make friends with the old guy…"

"Old? Geez, Thorne… I met the guy this morning… he's probably only in his thirties…" another voice added to the conversation.

"Yeah, so… old," James shrugged.

Scarlett just rolled her eyes.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20

Scarlett pulled out her phone looking at the text. She checked the video feed of the hallway from the security camera that Penny had diverted to her tablet and headed out the door. She casually entered the next room where Reid had left the door slightly ajar. Closing it tightly behind her, locking it against prying eyes, she finally slipped out of her role as a student and back into herself.

"Argh!" she complained heavily as he looked up from his own monitor and gave her a grin.

"I take it your first day of school went well," he snarked.

"Oh, please," she huffed, throwing herself down onto a chair in the corner of the room. "Tell me again why the Bureau insisted I take on a student role instead of also being in the faculty?" she stared at him hard, frowning.

"Because you have the looks to fit the part and having eyes and ears in with them is more conducive to the investigation," he quirked his eyebrow at her.

"But you know that," he corrected himself at her glance.

"Yeah. I know the theory behind it, professor," she teased. "I just don't fit in very well…"

Spencer grinned at her. "You fit in just fine from what I saw, crazy girl," he stated, moving from the desk over to the chair where she'd sprawled out.

"They make me feel old, Reid…" she whined, scrubbing at her face tiredly. "I'm very, very _old_ …"

"Bullshit… if you are old, then I'm freaking ancient…"

Scarlett laughed when he flopped into the chair alongside her, pulling her onto his lap.

"Hello, crazy girl," he nuzzled her neck lightly, wrapping her in his embrace. "I missed you…"

 _One hundred five hours six minutes and twenty two seconds_ … he sighed, finally holding her again.

"Mmm, missed you too," she snuggled in against him, feeling relaxed finally after the long day. "Hello, farm boy…" she turned her face to his for a kiss.

"You don't feel any older to me," he teased, tasting her lips once again.

"If I heard once more today about how old thirty was, I swear I would've snapped and blown my cover," she told him, biting his bottom lip lightly.

"Hmm. If thirty is old, I _must_ be ancient…" he reminded her with a chuckle.

"Yeah, well, since you are faculty, the general consensus is that you are supposed to be old…" she sighed. "You don't have to try to pretend to fit in with them…"

He studied her eyes for a moment as she settled her head against his shoulder.

"You pretend very well, Katy. Every time I saw you today, you were surrounded by people," he said, moving his arm around her waist to hug her closer. "Especially some of the male students…"

He chuckled as she swatted at his chest.

"Shut up you… some of the female students were talking about the cute new chemistry professor too, you know…" she teased him back.

"Riiiigggght," he rolled his eyes.

Scarlett scoffed. "Yup… and I had to sit there and listen to them drooling on and on…"

"Hmm, well, at least you didn't have to watch me walking around holding hands with one of them," he said, a tiny bit of irritation sounding in his tone.

"If you were truly watching, pretty boy, you'd have seen me angle a way to remove his hand from mine when he _tried_ to hold it…" she raised a brow at him. "Jealous much?"

"Jealous a lot, yes…" he said, taking her hand into his own. "We've established that dynamic," he leaned his chin on her shoulder, holding her closer. Nipping at her lips lightly, he pulled her against his hip, crossing one of his legs over hers, pinning her to his side.

"I kinda like jealous you," she teased, turning her head a bit so he could continue trailing his lips along her throat.

He growled low in his chest.

"I don't," he protested. "I don't like seeing someone else touching you…"

"Reid," she sighed out his name heavily, "Come on, boy… you aren't seriously…"

"Shut up…" he told her, pressing his lips over her mouth to silence her. Scarlett matched his kiss, letting him vent his frustrations by devouring her.

"I can't help how I feel," he complained to her when he finally pulled away from her lips long enough to speak again. "I know you are just doing your job, but seeing you flirting back…"

"Flirting? I wasn't…"

"Boy Scout?" he scowled at her, his voice turning accusatory...

Scarlett's brows winged up at his tone. "Well… how closely were you listening?" she looked up into his eyes.

"Closely enough to hear you gave him a nickname," he groused. She saw the frown lines settle between his brows.

"Well, hell…" she bit the inside of her cheek to stop her grin. "I'm busted," she sighed dramatically. "I guess I shouldn't tell you I'm meeting him later for dinner…"

Spencer's eyes darkened. "You are not…" his voice lowered into a snarl.

"What if I was, Reid? You wouldn't stop me from doing my job…" she kept his eyes locked onto hers.

"And, I'm sure you trust me enough to know that's all I'm doing," she tilted her head a bit, nudging him.

"Uh huh- It's not your intentions that make me edgy…" he wrinkled his nose at her. "It's his…"

"I think I can keep the long list of admirers at bay, farm boy," she rubbed her cheek against his, dropping a kiss to his ear.

Spencer made a face. "And I can't help that it irritates me that I have to stand back and watch, when what I really want to do is…" he stopped short and scowled at himself.

Scarlett watched his eyes change slightly.

"What?" she asked.

"I'm just wondering when the hell I became so possessive and territorial," he scowled. "I'm sounding like Morgan…" he looked down at her giggle.

"I'm sorry, sweetie, but I can't help to be a little flattered that I bring that out in you," she grinned, leaned forward and licked his throat.

Spencer groaned at her touch. "I hardly think it's impressive that I wanted to flatten a kid barely out of high school," he pouted a little when she pulled away.

Grinning wickedly, Scarlett added fuel to the fire… "He's a fourth year, pre-med student… so he's probably around twenty four," she teased.

"By the time I was twenty four, I already had three ph.d's, two b.a.'s and a career in the BAU…" he scoffed.

Scarlett's eyes lit up at his comment. "Hmm. Impressive… tell me more," she leaned closer, loosening his tie and unbuttoning the first few buttons of his shirt. He looked down at her impish grin.

"You're teasing me," he nabbed her fingers, bringing them to his lips.

"No, I'm _flirting_ with you. You know, so you can tell the real thing from when I'm just doing my job," she ran her hand over his hair, twisting some of the waves through her fingers before moving back to his shirt.

"And I happen to be very attracted to your brains," she said as she made short work of the rest of his buttons, trailing light kisses down his chest.

He felt her smile against his skin when he groaned.

"Shh, professor," she said huskily. "You don't want anyone thinking you are entertaining anyone in here, now do you?"

"Ah, god… Scarlett…" he grabbed her under the arms, pulling her back up as she slid down between his legs.

"Mercy… stop, Jesus…" he panted out as he dragged her from her knees.

"Oh, poo… You mean we can't play naughty school girl?" she pouted, meeting his shocked face with an innocent look. She pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose.

"I really, really get turned on when you wear your glasses, Dr. Reid," she met his lips in a heated kiss, running her fingers into his hair and yanking him forward.

He pulled away from her, watching her eyes.

"I can't tell if you are playing with me, or if you are really serious," he narrowed his gaze to hers.

Scarlett fixed a look over at the clock that hung on the wall. "We have just enough time for you to find out…" she told him, standing up and pulling him up from the chair, maneuvering him backwards to the bed. It slid and hit the wall loudly when she shoved him down onto it.

"Ah, fuck me," he cursed at the noise.

"That's the plan," Scarlett grinned evilly down at him as she stripped off her jeans and straddled his hips.

"Scarlett…" he rolled his eyes, covering his face and scrubbing at it roughly when the bed hit the wall again.

"Okay, this is _not_ going to work…" he caught her gaze, seeing the scowl that crossed her face at the noise.

"No," she agreed.

Spencer sat up, scooping her against his chest, lifting her onto his hips. Scarlett felt her back hit the wall and linked her feet around him.

"Okay," she smirked, meeting his eyes. "This _will_ work… lose the pants, Reid…"

Spencer grunted in response, holding her tighter with one arm, balancing her against him as he complied with her request…

He thrust inside her, joining them together. His legs went weak when he felt her body respond to his immediately. A moan hit the back of his throat and Scarlett captured the noise with her mouth, smothering it.

"Shhh," she warned him again. Spencer opened his eyes, looking into hers.

Watching his reaction to her, seeing the emotions that crossed his face and reflected in his eyes was incredible. Scarlett memorized him, every moment, locking it into her memory.

"I adore you, Spencer…" she whispered softly, trailing her fingers over his cheek. "Come for me… I want to watch you come…" she requested.

Reid couldn't have stopped if he had wanted to… he buried himself deeper, grasping his hands over her ass, holding her tightly against him as the orgasm rolled through him, hard. He used the wall as leverage to keep them both upright for a minute longer before his legs started to shake, turning to jelly under him.

Scarlett felt the tremble and unlatched her legs from his waist, lowering her feet to the floor. She reached down, pulling his pants back into place, as he leaned his shoulder against the wall, panting heavily.

"I'll be back later, farm boy," she told him huskily as she pulled her own jeans back on. He picked his head up, looking quickly in her direction.

"Wait, what? Where are you going?" he gasped out, still not thinking clearly.

Scarlett moved closer to his side, lifting his head so he met her eyes.

"I told you, I have to meet James for dinner. I've got to grab a shower and change now…" she reminded him gently.

"I thought you were kidding," he sulked.

"No, pretty boy. I have to go- I think this guy may have a clue into who our needle is… If I'm reading him right," she told him, running her hand over his cheek.

Spencer's frown deepened. "Right, okay…" he sighed heavily, resting his cheek into her touch. "Still not happy… be careful…"

"You know I will. I'll text you when I get back and we'll discuss what I found out. We still have to compare notes about the students and check with Penny to see if the background checks turned up anything…"

"I'll talk to Garcia while you are out," he nodded, his lips tightening into a thin line.

"Spencer…" Scarlett stood up on her toes to reach for a kiss. He met her lips, moving his hands to either side of her face, kissing her reverently.

"Go," he ordered, moving to the desk to check the cameras. "Go- before I insist you stay…" he stated, watching the hallway. He saw her step into the camera's view and duck into her own room.

Reid sighed heavily as she disappeared from his sight.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21

Spencer alternated between pacing the floor of the small room, talking to Penelope about the checks into the faculty, and giving updates to the team back at the Bureau.

Currently, he was back to pacing…

"Has Scarlett found anything within the student body?" Morgan's voice asked him.

Spencer turned as he crossed the floor again. "Nothing significant yet," he responded. "But she got an invite to dinner tonight with someone she thinks may have some information… she's out with him now…"

Penelope threw Derek a look over her computer monitor. "Ah, that explains that…"

Spencer heard Penny's comment over the speaker.

"Explains what?" he asked.

"Pretty boy, we can hear you pacing the floors," Morgan teased.

"Yeah, well…" Reid huffed a little, running his hand through his hair. "You'd be pacing too if Pens was out on a _date_ …" he snarked, irritation leaching into his voice.

"No, I'd've probably tailed them…" Derek chuckled.

"Thought about that," Spencer mumbled. "Decided it'd be a bad idea…"

"Why?" Garcia asked with a small frown.

Morgan met her questioning gaze. "Reid's afraid he'd blow his cover if he watched… right pretty boy?"

"Something like that… this is still sort of new to me," he admitted to his friends.

"What is, sweetling?" Penny cooed. "Being undercover?"

"That too, but I meant the whole jealousy thing… being possessive…" he told her.

"…Trusting Scarlett…" Derek added.

"I trust Scarlett," Spencer countered. "I don't trust the guy she's with…"

"Hmm," Penelope heard the tension in his voice. "Reid, Scarlett can take care of herself… if this guy makes a wrong move, he's toast…"

"I know… I _know_ \- I just don't like that I'm leaving her in a position where she might have to defend herself, while I just _sit_ here!" he threw out the words angrily.

Morgan sighed. "Kid- if you don't let her do her job, you'll have bigger problems than waiting… you'll be fighting a losing battle, with _her_ …"

Spencer glared up at the ceiling. "Again, I know! And this is why I'm here, pacing, instead of following her… She's more than capable of handling herself in the field…"

"Better believe it," Garcia nodded. "And here she comes…"

Reid moved back over to the desk in a heartbeat, watching the monitor. He saw Scarlett walking to her door, the guy she'd been talking to earlier in the classroom right behind her.

"So, thanks again for showing me around today, Boy Scout… and for dinner…" Scarlett looked up at James, offering her hand to him, putting space between them.

Thorne cocked his head slightly, looking from her face to her hand. He took it into his, raising it to his lips and kissing the back of it lightly.

"It was my pleasure," he nodded.

Penny stifled a chuckle behind her hand when she heard Reid's growl through the speaker. Morgan shook his head.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" they heard the young man ask as Scarlett opened her door.

"Of course, we have classes together," Scarlett said lightly, pulling away from his touch. "See you then…"

She took a backwards step into the room. When the James leaned his shoulder into the door, not allowing her to shut it, Scarlett blocked the entrance.

"It's still early yet, what's your hurry?" he asked her, giving her a teasing smile.

"It was my first day, I'm exhausted and I still have a ton of things to do- like unpack…" Scarlett told him, placing her hand against his chest to push him back. James gave her a cocky grin when she didn't budge him in the slightest.

She was just getting ready to put more effort into the shove when Reid opened his door. They both looked over at him.

"Problem?" he asked, throwing a look up at the camera that hung in the hallway, indicating he had viewed the little scene. He played up the role of being the RA in a supervisory position to his benefit.

"Nah, nothing wrong here, Professor Ryan," James shrugged. "Just saying good night to my girl…"

Scarlett noticed Reid's eyes narrow slightly.

"It's nothing…" she offered, turning her gaze back to James. "And one dinner definitely doesn't make me 'your girl'… sooo- good night, Boy Scout…" she gave him a cheeky grin. "See you in class…"

Thorne rolled his eyes at her, indicating Reid behind his back. "I told you this room would be a pain in the ass," he whispered.

"Oh well, beggars can't be choosers," she shrugged. "Besides, Joy was right… he is kind of a cutie," she stated a little louder, giving Spencer a quick wink. She got the expected response when he blushed furiously and turned back into his own room.

James chuckled. "You'd better be careful, flirting like that- you might give the poor guy the wrong idea…"

" _Nobody_ is getting any wrong ideas… I'm making myself perfectly clear," she told him, using more force to push him back a step…

"I get the hint," James grinned. "Talk to you tomorrow…" he said over his shoulder as he turned down the hall towards his own room.

Scarlett closed her door and locked it. Her phone rang the second she did…

"Stop pacing Reid," she huffed out as she answered. "I took care of it…"

"I know," he responded. "Open your door…"

"Arrgh," Scarlett turned back and unlocked the door, popping it back open. Spencer moved inside.

"You are going to blow your cover," she warned him. "And mine…" she scowled.

"I checked the video first, nobody is around on the floor," he stated, moving towards her to take her into his arms.

Scarlett sighed as he held onto her tightly. "You've got to get a better handle on this, Reid…"

"I know," he huffed, burying his face into her hair and breathing deeply. "I'm _trying_ …" he promised.

"Alright," she hugged him back, giving in for a minute as he leashed his demons.

"What did Penny find out?" she asked, pulling away from him a little as she brought him back to the case.

Spencer rubbed his cheek against hers before letting her go completely. "The faculty is clear, no red flags… she's gone through most of the students already, nothing there either…" he told her, starting to pace once again.

"Your friend came up clear," he scowled, indicating the doorway with a jerk of his thumb. "I don't think you'll get any information from him."

"Hmm. But I have already," she watched his scowl deepen.

"What did he say?" Spencer met her eyes. A break in the case would be ideal…

"Let me call Penny, give her some names and I'll explain to the both of you at the same time," she said, picking up her phone.

"Hey, little one… what's the news?" Garcia answered the call on the first ring.

"News is that I seem to be in the right circle…" she began, explaining to them about what she'd heard over dinner. She gave Penelope a list of several names to look into.

"James Thorne isn't the one we are looking for, but I'll bet my last dollar that one of his friends is…" she finished. "He is way too assured that there is no threat… I'm thinking he believes that the person he knows who sent the letters is just blowing off steam and won't follow through…"

"Or he thinks he's close enough to the person, that he can control their actions…" Spencer supplied.

"Yeah… problem is, we know that the situation can go south quickly, because whether he wants to believe it or not, you can't control someone else's actions…" Scarlett sighed. "No matter how close he thinks he is, he's not going to be able to fix this…"

Spencer watched her eyes. "Do you think you can get him to just tell you who it is?" he asked hopefully.

"Not yet- I haven't reached that level of trust. All he said tonight was that there wasn't anything to worry about…"

"And you don't think it is him?" Garcia asked again.

"No- nothing hits my radar. But I promise I won't rule it out or let down my guard…" she told her friend, meeting Spencer's worried look. "I promise," she repeated.

"Alright- I'll hit you back after I run these names…" Penny stated. "PG out…"

"I guess we aren't going to figure out anything tonight," Reid moved back towards the door. "I'd better leave before someone comes and wonders why I am in here," he frowned, looking down at the tops of his shoes instead of meeting Scarlett's eyes.

"I'm sorry…" he started, caught her raised brow and stopped short. He gave a sigh and scrubbed at his face.

"I'll figure it out…" she heard him mutter under his breath and knew he wasn't talking about the case.

Scarlett walked over to the desk, slipping her phone into the dock and turned on her music as he started towards the door. Spencer stopped with his hand on the knob as he heard "My Immortal" by Evanescene start playing. He closed his eyes listening to the lyrics, knowing she played it specifically for him. She'd told him before that it reminded her of him, especially when he'd let his insecurities get the better of him.

He sighed, knowing that's what she was telling him now.

"Reid…" Scarlett stepped around the desk. "Come here…" she held her arms out to him and he stepped back into her embrace.

"Sorry," he said again.

"Hush," she kissed his temple, moving against him, swaying to the music.

"I just…" he stopped when he felt her finger press against his lips. Instead of trying to explain anything else, he just held her, burying his face into the crook of her neck and listened to her softly singing the lyrics…

 _I'm so tired of being here  
Suppressed by all my childish fears  
And if you have to leave  
I wish that you would just leave  
'Cause your presence still lingers here  
And it won't leave me alone_

 _These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

 _When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me_

 _You used to captivate me by your resonating light  
Now, I'm bound by the life you left behind  
Your face it haunts my once pleasant dreams  
Your voice it chased away all the sanity in me_

 _These wounds won't seem to heal, this pain is just too real  
There's just too much that time cannot erase_

 _When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
But you still have all of me_

 _I've tried so hard to tell myself that you're gone  
But though you're still with me, I've been alone all along_

 _When you cried, I'd wipe away all of your tears  
When you'd scream, I'd fight away all of your fears  
And I held your hand through all of these years  
You still have all of me…_


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22

As the song switched into the next on the playlist, he kept close, held her tighter in his arms, dancing in a small circle in the little room. He felt her hands running over his back, holding him close, keeping him safe…

He shuddered, not understanding where that thought even came from…

 _Why didn't he feel safe?_

"What is wrong with me?" he asked her, not picking his head up from her shoulder. He felt her shake her head, pressing a kiss to his temple. His heart speed up as apprehension flooded his system.

Scarlett noticed.

"Nothing, Spence. Absolutely nothing is wrong with you, sweetheart…" she whispered against his skin.

She held him tighter, soothing him, singing softly with the songs, just keeping him close until the panic passed…

"I love you my sweet boy," she reassured him as she ran her fingers through hair.

Reid fought against the nervous tension that ran through his veins. He could feel his heart hammering against his chest, his breathing coming in erratic short gasps.

"Spencer…" he heard a warning in her voice over the ringing in his ears.

"Breathe baby," she said softly. When she felt him tremble, Scarlett took him by the hand, leading him over to the small couch that came with the room. When she sat beside him, he grasped her around the waist, tugging her onto his lap.

"I _can't_ …" he shook, panting out tight breaths. Sweat beaded across his brow… "Can't breathe…"

Scarlett held his face in her hands. She kept her eyes locked on his. "Yes, you can… Slow deep breaths, come on sweetheart…" she gently stroked his jawline, keeping her mouth just over his, trading her breath with his trying to help.

"Listen to me, Spencer. Use your senses to calm yourself… What do you feel?" she asked, continuing to touch him.

Spencer forced his mind to think. "Your hands, touching my skin," he blew out a tense breath.

"What do you hear?"

"Your voice, the music…Your heart beat," he added, placing his ear over her breast.

"Mmm hmm… what can you smell?" she asked gently, seeing that the method was already starting to help him regain his control.

He breathed in deeply. "You," he sighed, rubbing his face against her chest, inhaling again. "You smell like almonds and cherries," he told her. She kissed his hair.

"Lotion," she smiled softly, resting her cheek against his hair. "Next one is taste," she told him with a grin.

Spencer reached up and kissed her lips. "Taste like cherries too," he met her mouth again. "I like the taste of cherry Chapstick on you…"

He opened his eyes to meet hers.

"Mmm… me too," she smiled, kissing him again.

"And last one- what do you see?" she asked.

"Your smile," he said softly. "I love your smile," he told her, drawing his finger across her grin.

After following through her suggestions and using the technique to stave off the panic attack, he had finally gotten through the worst of it. Spencer felt embarrassment heat his cheeks.

He laid his head against her chest, listening to her heart beat under his ear. Scarlett kissed his forehead, pushing some of his hair back off of his face and looked down at him.

"Do you want to talk about it sweetie?" she asked as she continued running her fingers through his hair.

Spencer felt his face heat. "I don't know…" he licked his lips nervously. "I don't know what happened…" he admitted quietly.

Scarlett heard the nerves still ringing in his voice. "Well," she shifted a bit under his weight on her chest, keeping him close but angling a better look at his face. "I'm not a doctor, Reid, but I'm pretty sure you just had quite an epic anxiety attack. I was just wondering what brought it on…" she kept brushing his hair gently, watching his eyes.

He squinted up at her. "I don't know… I don't think I've ever had one before…" he tried remembering if he'd ever felt so out of control before. He didn't think so… not without an immediate threat hanging over him, anyway…

He could still feel the adrenaline pumping through him. His body shook again.

"I told Hotch I wasn't the best choice for this," he muttered. "They should have sent another agent…"

Scarlett cocked her head at that. "You've been doing fine, boy…" she reminded him.

"I don't do undercover, Scarlett," he scowled. "Especially on my own…"

"You aren't on your own. I'm here. You only were here for a few days before me, to establish your cover," she stated. "And you did fine on your own."

"No," he shook his head. "I didn't- you found out more in one day than I did in four," he frowned.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "Spence. Your cover doesn't give you the opportunity to engage with the students on this level. That's why they set me up as a transfer… Nobody expected you to get close."

"I don't like you being undercover, either," he mentioned. "I don't like you being on your own- it isn't safe… what if I'm in a class and the unsub makes good on his threats- how do I make sure you are safe? I can't protect you if you aren't with me…" he started hyperventilating a little again.

"Ah, okay…" she began to see where his panic was coming from. "That's a little better… A part of me was worried that you were freaking out because of James…"

Spencer scowled. "That doesn't make me happy either- but no. Other than I still couldn't see you… again. How are we supposed to be partnered on this case if we can't stay with each other?"

He nuzzled his face into her neck, breathing in her scent, re-centering himself.

"Reid… I'll stick as close as possible to you as I can, but we have to work the case," she said as she pressed another kiss to his hair.

"I know… I just wish…" he stopped talking as his mind latched onto an idea.

Scarlett stayed quiet, recognizing the look in his eyes. After a few minutes, he grinned.

"What are you thinking, sweetheart," she met his smile with one of her own.

"Um, I'm thinking Professor Ryan is going to get himself thrown out of the school for behaving inappropriately towards a student…" he told her.

"Is that so?" she raised her brows. "Not too soon, I hope…"

"Well, it would take a while for the college to catch on and throw me out, so long enough to work the case- anyway, what do I care if he can't teach anymore?" he laughed.

"Is the student he will be inappropriate towards going to be the new girl?" Scarlett asked. Spencer gave her a smirk and nodded.

"Then I don't have a problem with your plan," she nudged him playfully. "And it will be helpful to have the students thinking we are hiding something, so they won't realize we are actually hiding something," she admitted.

"It will keep me closer to you," he agreed. "So that works for me."

"Okay, so let's go over the game plan, so we are on the same page," Scarlett nodded.

They talked for a while longer about how they would make change the social dynamic between student and teacher to enable them to work closer without causing too much scandal too quickly. They didn't want 'Professor Ryan' to be thrown off campus before they were ready to leave.

Penny contacted them, giving them a narrowed list of the names of James' friends to work with. Scarlett was slightly surprised to see Mike and Melody's names still included.

"Okay, that could be useful…" she admitted. "These two live in this building also," she informed them.

"Glad to be of service, sweetlings," Garcia chirped. "Now, I'm going to bed… call me if you need anything else…"

"Good night Pens," Scarlett said. "Tell D. I said g'nite too," she grinned.

"Will do, pumpkin. TTFN…" she disconnected the call.

Spencer looked over at Scarlett. "I guess I should head over to my own room," he rolled his eyes. "No way we could pull off staying in the same room without expecting a huge uproar," he winked.

Scarlett laughed and shook her head. "You're actually looking forward to playing the bad boy in this, aren't you?" she asked.

He gave a shrug. "It'll be kinda cool, being the rule breaker," he acknowledged. "I never really got that chance when I really went to college…"

"Reid… you were what, fifteen in college? Driving a car would have been rule breaking…" she giggled.

"Staying out past ten… yeah, I was a bad boy," he laughed.

Scarlett walked with him to the door after checking the hall way monitors. "Alright, bad boy… I'll see you in the morning…" she reached up to kiss him.

He took her face in his hands, nibbling at her lips lightly until he heard her sigh.

"I love you Katy Scarlett Reid," he said softly.

"As I love you Spencer Reid…" she responded. He rested his hand over the baby, rubbing her stomach until he felt his son kick.

"Good night my loves," he pressed a kiss to her forehead and snuck out of the room quietly. Scarlett watched the monitor until he disappeared behind his own door.

"Good night my lover," she said to the empty room. She sighed, turning to her duffle bag for her clothes and headed into the small bathroom to change for bed.

She turned her music on, listening to it fill the background with something familiar. Lying across the bed, she stared up at the ceiling for a while before grabbing her phone. She flipped he screen to video chat and punched in Spencer's number. He answered immediately.

"Miss me that much?" he asked as her image filled his phone screen.

"Yes," Scarlett pouted prettily. He touched the picture and grinned.

"Good. I miss you too…" he stretched out a long arm and tapped on their adjoining wall.

He saw her turn towards the sound and she shoved around the small bed until it bumped against the wall where he'd indicated he was... then he heard her tap back and moved his position so he was beside her.

"Good night my beautiful girl," he said quietly.

"Good night my handsome boy," she responded with a yawn.

They fell asleep together with the video connection open and the wall separating them…


	23. Chapter 23

Chapter 23

James leaned over Scarlett's shoulder, assisting her with the experiment. When she failed the attempt for the third time in a row, she sighed heavily.

"Wow, you really weren't kidding when you said you sucked at this…" he commented with a grin.

"Nope," she shook her head, legitimately frustrated when the other students all seemed to be completing the task easily.

"I'd be glad to stay through lunch, help you out some more," he suggested.

"Oh, would you?" Scarlett gave him a soft smile, happy that he was playing into their plan so easily. "That would be terrific, boy scout… I really have to pass this semester, or I'll lose my grant," she pouted.

"Sure, no problem…" James grinned, watching her bottom lip. Scarlett bit it lightly, drawing across her teeth. The motion seemed to have the same reaction on her new friend as it did with Reid… she cautiously looked over towards where she knew Spencer was also watching. She saw him scowling darkly.

Men were so predictable…

Reid caught Scarlett's signal, but waited to move towards her until after the majority of the other students left the lab. He came over to their station, noticing that Thorne wasn't leaving. She'd managed to get him to stay, like they'd planned.

"You don't have to stick around on our account Professor Ryan," James offered. "I'll help Katy get through this," he stated, thinking that having the teacher watching her would make her even more nervous.

"I can't leave the lab while students are utilizing it, as per the administration. It's an extra layer of security, what with the threats," Spencer said, making an opening for them to discuss the case.

"Oh," James looked a bit disappointed. Scarlett added one of the ingredients to the beaker, causing the reaction to overflow onto the countertop.

"Ooops," she giggled, covering her mouth. "Sorry," she looked over at Spencer with a grin.

He cocked his head, wondering if she'd created the mess on purpose. "It's alright. I'll get something to clean this up…" he offered, giving her a chance to be alone with James for a few minutes.

When he came back, she looked him in the eyes.

"So, Professor… we need you to settle a disagreement," she told him, taking some of the rags from him and cleaning off the desk.

"How so?" Reid asked, looking between the two.

"Well, my friend James here is insisting you are forty," she looked up at him through lowered lashes, flirting with him. "I said you can't be much more than thirty…" she rolled her eyes dramatically.

"So how old are you?"

Spencer let a blush heat his face, pretending to be caught off guard by her actions. He shot an uncomfortable look over to Thorne who only shrugged, like 'what-can-you-do?'

"Uh, I'm thirty-five," Reid stammered, catching Scarlett's gaze.

"See, I told you," Scarlett looked up at James. "I wanted to invite you to a party tonight off campus…" she told him. "But James here thought you may feel out of your element, if you came along…"

"Off campus?" Spencer asked, keeping his eyes locked to hers. He saw her nod imperceptibly.

"There is a little bar in town that we usually hit up on Friday nights… some of us from the hall, I mean," James explained. "I asked new girl to come along- and she thought maybe you'd be interested…"

"Uh, sure, why not?" Reid shrugged slightly. Scarlett smiled brightly, and gave him a wink.

"Cool. I knew you'd be ready to blow off some steam," she looked from Reid to Thorne. "You're new here too, right? This way we can get to know you, too…"

Spencer picked up the rags to throw them away. "Sure," he said again, looking at James once more before focusing in on Scarlett.

"You got your digits handy?" she asked him. She giggled when Spencer looked honestly confused. She lifted her phone towards him with a questioning glance. "So I can text you the deets? Time, place etcetera?"

"Oh- oh yeah," he blushed again and rattled off the phone number for the burner phone listed under his alias. He felt the phone vibrate in his pocket.

"Okay, that's me then… save it and I'll contact you later…"

"Right- okay, thanks… I'll get rid of this," he stammered, heading back out of the lab to toss the towels.

James watched him leave, turning back to Scarlett with a huge grin.

"That was fantastic, New Girl," he bumped his fist to hers. "You had him eating out of your palm…"

Scarlett arched a brow. "Whatevs- if being nice to him gets me a better grade, I'm all in," she told him, keeping an eye on the door. "It was your suggestion that gave me the idea, Boy Scout…"

"I won't complain about him hanging around, either, if it makes the semester go easier," he agreed. He looked over the last attempt she made at the experiment. "You may need to turn up the flirting though, if this is the best you've got…" he scowled at the remaining mess.

Scarlett huffed out a breath. "You have no idea…" she rolled her eyes. "But I think I'm up for the challenge," she smiled at him, giving a side long glance at Reid when he re-entered the room.

"A little flirting never hurt though, right?" she pulled her shirt a little lower, adjusted her bra and gave James a wink.

Reid looked over when he heard Thorne laugh loudly. He saw Scarlett tug on her top, revealing a little more cleavage and tamped down the jealousy that sparked in his veins. He hoped he pulled off a cool look as he rejoined them…

"You still having a problem with getting the proper reaction?" he asked her.

"Hmm, not really- It's about the reaction I expected…" she shrugged, looking between James and Spencer then glancing down at her breasts…

James let out another bark of laughter and Reid blushed.

"Ohhhhh, you're talking about the experiment," she grinned, flirting with them shamelessly.

"James has to leave me," she pouted coquettishly, looking up at Reid through her lashes. "So I guess I'm going to have to take the failing grade on this one."

She gave James a look that told him to back her up.

"Uh, yeah- I can't stick around any longer… I'll miss my class. I'm sorry honey," he reached over and gave her a one armed hug, dropping a quick kiss to her hair.

Scarlett saw Spencer's gaze narrow at the younger man, but he pulled himself back into his role.

"I have a free period coming up," he told them. "I can help you, so you don't have to fail…" he offered, looking between James and Scarlett.

The look that James traded with Scarlett spoke volumes.

"Great… thanks man," Thorne patted Reid on the back. "We'll see you tonight, too- It'll be a blast…"

He picked up his bag from the floor as Spencer turned his attention to Scarlett. He made a motion of eating from his hand behind Reid's back and wiggled his brows at Scarlett. She gave him a quick wink and turned her attention back to Spencer.

"I don't know what I can possibly be doing wrong," she pouted again, heaving a sigh that emphasized her chest. She saw Reid grin slightly, playing along until Thorne left the room. As soon as they heard the door click shut behind him, Reid let out a pent up breath, scrubbing at his face roughly.

"Okay- you are killing me… Jesus Scarlett," he complained. "I'm even feeling sorry for the poor professor…" he rolled his eyes at her giggle.

"You'd better prepare for tonight then, sweetheart. I already told James I was going to use you and abuse you…"

Spencer's face went white. "What?" he squeaked.

Scarlett laughed. "Oh yes- you're sooo going to pass Katy through the semester- and some of my friends too…" she ran her hand down his jacket, letting her fingers run over his chest lightly.

"Yeah- poor guy never stood a chance," Reid shook his head. "He'll never work again," he said, tugging her closer, reaching down quickly to capture her mouth under his.

"Save it for later, farm boy…" Scarlett teased. "Professor Ryan is going to get lit tonight, so Katy Jones can make a move on him… and so you can get some conversation going with Melody and Mike…" she explained. "Melody doesn't trust me yet so she won't open up to me- also, she thinks I'm competition for James," she wrinkled her nose at that.

"So maybe she'll open up to me, if we are drinking a bit and bonding over how to keep you and James separated?" Spencer figured out what she was planning.

"Exactly," she grinned. "Play it up, playa…"

Reid rolled his eyes again. "Yeah- riiight…"

"We'll have to play it by ear with Mike, to draw him out…" she warned him. "James has said he's a bit paranoid- but I haven't talked to him enough to figure out if it's just angst in his personality in general…"

"Or if he fits the profile…" Spencer finished for her. "Got it…"

"Alright… I'll talk to you later lover- I've got to get to my next class too," she shook her head at the statement.

"I thought you were going to finish this," he said indicating the lab before him.

"Uh-huh… nope. I wasn't kidding farm boy- I never passed chemistry… But you are going to give me a good grade anyway," she teased, running her hand down his side, reaching around to his ass. She patted him lightly and grinned. "I promise I'll make it worth it to you…"

Reid laughed, pulled her closer and kissed her once more before she left. "Promises, promises… We'll see…"


	24. Chapter 24

Chapter 24

Reid sat at a small table in the corner of the bar talking to Melody and Mike while watching Scarlett shoot a game of pool with James. It was a good thing they'd decided to change up the roles a bit to include him in the group, because Scarlett would have had a difficult time getting any information on the case while keeping up her cover. Thorne was monopolizing the majority of her time…

Melody noticed the professor's gaze tracking back over towards the new girl once again. She was glad that James and Katy had included her in their plan to make the man feel like he was a part of their group, since Katy had been flirting with the professor all night. Otherwise, she'd have thought his interest in the new girl sort of creepy… The way he kept watching her, he was definitely showing _some_ sort of attraction, beyond what was probably appropriate for a teacher.

She smiled at him and offered to buy the next round of drinks. Maybe this semester would be easier with him on their side, as James suggested. She looked over at Mike, who was still yammering on to the professor, trying to find out if the faculty had any new information about the supposed threats that had been issued. She rolled her eyes, bored with the topic already…

Spencer knocked back the shot that Melody had bought as the waitress placed it before him. He met her eyes, seeing her hint of irritation with Mike.

"Do you play?" Reid asked, indicating the pool table. He felt a little giddy, and reminded himself to stop accepting any more shots of the hard liquor.

"Not really… do you?" she asked, hoping for the chance to interact with James.

Reid shrugged. "It's really just physics," he told her. "But I'd like the chance to play," he said a bit more loudly than he'd wanted.

"If you could team up with Thorne, I'll take Katy…" he gave her a lopsided grin. So far he'd managed to make it look like he'd drank most of his drinks, when in reality he'd only had a few. The few had made him a little tipsy, and he hadn't expected this much of a buzz from what he'd had consumed. He weaved a little bit when he got to his feet.

"Okay," Mel grinned at him. So teach did have the hots for new girl… good…

"Divide and conquer," she raised her shot glass and swallowed the shot for liquid courage. Maybe this plan would have other benefits… like getting James to take notice of her.

Spencer made his way over to the table as Scarlett finished up the game, neatly sinking the eight ball.

"Do you want to partner up?" he asked her, giving her a sly smile. Reid reached around her to lay his money on the table for the next game, neatly tucking her in between him and the table.

"Sure," Scarlett smiled up at him, leaning into him a little. She tapped a finger on his chest. "Let me grab another drink…"

"I got it," James offered, heading over to the bar, tugging Melody by the hand. The girl looked ecstatic with the attention. "I lost so I'll get this round… What's your poison?" he asked Reid.

Spencer shrugged. "I've been sticking to Long Island iced tea…" taking the man's offer, avoiding another shot.

"Okay- and another Coke for the new girl and cheap date?" James winked at her.

Scarlett lifted her glass and nodded.

"You got it…" James stepped through the crowded bar, taking Melody with him, giving Scarlett what he thought was her opening to flirt with the professor.

Scarlett bumped up against Reid's hip as she set up racking the balls for the new game.

"Anything yet, farm boy?" she asked, turning to tug on his shirt, making it look like she was casually teasing him.

"I'm not getting anything from Melody other than frustration with James' inattention," he smiled, leaning closer to her. "I'm watching Mike though… something about him is bumping my radar hard…" he warned her. "He's not happy about how the school is reacting to the threats…"

Scarlett saw James heading back towards them. "Got it… now show me how you can run the table, sweetheart," she grinned, leaning into Spencer. She shook out her hair, laughing.

"I'll buy the next round if you can," she teased, loudly enough for the other couple to overhear.

"It's just physics," Reid shrugged again, repeating his earlier statement to Melody. "Watch and learn, cutie," he flirted back, touching Scarlett's nose lightly.

Scarlett caught James smile and raised her brows.

Thorne handed out the drinks, watching Reid set up his shots. One after another the balls dropped into the pockets until he had completely cleared the table.

"Well, hell- I need to use you as a ringer," Scarlett said, genuinely surprised. "I guess I owe you a drink…"

"I haven't finished this one yet," Spencer took a swallow. The taste burned the back of his throat and he coughed a little.

"I had them make you a double…" James grinned.

"Yeah, I can tell-" Reid looked over at Scarlett, raising his brows slightly. "This one will definitely put me over my limit," he stated.

"Good thing I don't drink," Scarlett moved closer to him, looking up into his eyes. "I'm DD for tonight. And, since we are such close neighbors, I'll even tuck you in," she ran a finger down the front of his shirt, stopping just above his belt.

Spencer cleared his throat, looking over at Melody and James, as if checking out their reactions. When they remained un-phased, he played up his side of the game.

"Is that an offer?" he asked as he leaned closer to Scarlett, swaying slightly due to the alcohol.

Scarlett judged his eyes, seeing he _was_ actually slightly drunk. She grinned.

"You interested?" she asked, stepping closer to his body.

"You're teasing…" he said, narrowing his eyes. When she didn't back down, he reached over to touch her neck, lightly trailing a finger down her collarbone, down to the low cut angle of her shirt. He stopped short before skimming her breast.

"I don't want to lose my job," he said looking at the other couple.

James put his hand out in front of him. "Hey- I see nothing…" he said, nudging Melody.

"See what?" she looked around as if confused. She gave Spencer a grin and leaned into James. Whatever happened now, they definitely had leverage against the new teacher...

Reid pretended to consider their words. He looked back down at Scarlett's seductive grin. "If that's the way this is going down, then- fuck yeah, I'm interested…"

Scarlett saw Mike move from the corner table where he'd been sitting watching everyone all night. When he threw some bills on the table and made his way towards the exit, something about his attitude made her nerves jump. She used Reid's words to allow them a quick escape to follow the other man.

"Then come with me now…" she fisted her hand into the front of his shirt, dragging him along behind her before they lost sight of Mike.

"Umm, kay?" Spencer tripped slightly behind her trying to keep up.

James looked down at Melody. "Looks like it's down to you and me kiddo," he grinned.

"Looks like," Mel smiled at the turn of events.

Once they reached the parking lot, Scarlett scanned the area.

"Mike left," she told Reid. "Did you see which way he went?" she asked.

Spencer shook his head negatively. "I don't think he drove himself though- do you think he called a cab?'

Scarlett huffed in frustration at having lost sight of the closest thing they had to a suspect. "I don't know. Maybe he headed back to the hall… how heavily was he drinking?"

"He was pretty drunk…" Reid stated, feeling his own head spin a little. Scarlett noticed.

"Umm- and _that's_ not an act," she grinned as she wrapped an arm around his waist to steady him. "How much did you have to drink?" she teased.

"A few shots with Melody- and like three or four of those iced teas," he admitted. "Not much…"

Scarlett raised a brow at him, resisting the urge to laugh.

"Spence. You do realize that Long Island's have something like four or five shots of liquor in them depending on how they are made…" she told him.

Reid looked a bit shocked. "Umm. Now is probably not the best time to figure that out, huh?" he asked.

"Oh, boy…" Scarlett shook her head. "Probably not," she agreed with a grin. "Let's get you back to the hall. I'll have Penny check with the local cab companies and we'll find out where Mike disappeared to…"

Spencer let her lead him to the car as she tucked him into the passenger's seat. He hooked up his seat belt and looked over at her as she slid into the driver's seat.

"I think I'm drunk," he told her, giving her a foolish grin. Scarlett laughed.

"Ya think, boo?" she teased.

"Yup," he laid his head back against the seat, squinting at her.

"What?" she asked, seeing the look he was giving her.

"You can stay with me tonight…" he grinned. "They'll expect you to- they think you were coming back to fuck me anyway…"

Scarlett arched a brow at his choice of words. "Is that so?" she chuckled. Drunk Spencer was kind of funny…

"Yup," he said again, nodding his head. Some of his hair flipped onto his face and he blew at it. Scarlett shook her head.

"You are toast," she laughed. "Poor baby…"

Spencer tried to focus his thoughts. "Call Penny…" he remembered.

"I sent her a text babe. She's already on it…" Scarlett watched his face for a moment.

"Have you ever been hungover, Reid?" she asked. He tilted his head, as if trying to remember.

"I don't think I've ever been drunk… not like this anyway," he answered. He looked over at her. "No…"

"Hmm. Well, I hope you don't have a hell of one for tomorrow…" she sighed. Spencer reached over and took her hand.

"I pro'lly should've checked into what was in the drinks. I thought it was the shots that were making me lightheaded," he started slurring his words a bit.

"Now you know," she grinned and squeezed his fingers. "No biggie… you'll be fine, farm boy. I gotcha covered…"

Spencer smiled. "So you're stayin' with me then?" he asked hopefully. Scarlett rolled her eyes.

"Yes, boy- I'm staying with you…" she promised.

"Good," he closed his eyes for a minute, waiting for the spinning to stop. "I can't sleep without you…" he mumbled.

Scarlett looked over at him when his head slumped against his chest.

"Looks like you're not going to have a problem tonight, pretty boy," she chuckled.


	25. Chapter 25

Chapter 25

Spencer unlocked the door, leaning into Scarlett as she led him inside. He reached for her waist, pulling her against him, kissing her throat, biting her lightly.

"I want you," he groaned, pressing her back against the wall.

"I shouldn't take advantage of you when you're drunk, Reid…" she teased as she ducked under his arm, heading over to the radio. She turned on her playlist to her newest songs, and turned up the volume to cover some of their conversation.

"Are you kidding? Tell me you're teasing…" he pulled her close once again and saw the wrinkle in the bridge of her nose.

He kissed it. "You _are_ teasing…"

"And I'm not _that_ drunk…" he told her. "I want you…" he repeated.

"Uh huh… you said that…" she looked up into his eyes. They were slightly unfocused until he shook his head.

"Weren't we supposed to be tailing Mike?" he asked.

Scarlett couldn't help but giggle. "Boy, your brain is all over the map when you are inebriated…" she joked.

Spencer bit his lips together, trying to concentrate. "I can think about more than one thing at a time," he said. He leaned down to kiss her.

"Usually," he amended as his hormones took over once again.

"I had Garcia put Morgan and Rossi on Mike. You weren't in any shape to be on a stakeout…" she reminded him as he lost his concentration and started biting at her ear.

"Oh, right," he scowled a little bit. "Sorry…" he grimaced. "I didn't mean to get like this…"

"I know, babe. Live and learn…" she touched his face gently and he held her hand against his cheek. "A Long Island Iced Tea is not the same as a Twisted Tea," she chuckled.

"I know it's a bit late to ask, but what the _hell_ is in it?" he asked, shaking his head again.

"Oh, let's see," Scarlett tapped her chin, bringing the drink up to the front of her mind.

"Tequila, light rum, vodka, triple sec, gin and a splash of coke… usually. Some places add more or less… most times it's like a shot of each…"

Spencer's eyes widened. "Melody was buying shots of tequila in between," he thought for a moment. "I think I had four of those, straight…"

"Ah, that explains the distant look in your eyes," she patted his cheek. "Poor baby, talk about a trial by fire…"

"How did you tell Garcia?" he looked embarrassed, a light blush creeping up his neck. "Does the team know…?"

"That you got snookered?" Scarlett teased, twisting a piece of his hair in her fingers.

He huffed out a breath and stared at her, trying to look stern. His eyes crossed slightly and Scarlett laughed.

"No, sweet boy… it'll be our secret, I swear," she pressed her lips against his cheek. "I told Pens that it'd be better to have someone else follow him in case he spotted the tail, so it didn't blow our cover…"

"Oh. Right…" he grinned down at her. "You are so smart," he said, dropping a kiss to her forehead.

"And pretty…" his smile widened as he kissed her nose, then her cheeks…

"Uh huh," Scarlett rolled her eyes at his antics. "Totally trashed," she giggled again as he nuzzled into her neck, nipping at her ear once more.

"Only sorta trashed," he corrected her. "Come here," he tugged her by the hips towards the couch.

She sat across his lap, leaning over him, bringing his lips under hers and brushed a soft breath across his mouth. Spencer groaned, reaching towards her kiss. When she gave him a wicked grin, pulling back, just out of his reach, his groan turned into a low growl.

"Down, boy…" she breathed out huskily. "We have all night, lover…"

He watched her smile slowly spread; saw her tongue dart across her lips as she sat back against his legs. Spencer nudged her forward with his knees, pushing her up further until she rode his hips. Catching her around her waist to hold her closer, he met her gaze with a smoldering look. Scarlett's skin heated under the intensity she saw in his eyes.

Wrapping his hands through her hair, he brought her mouth down to his kiss and ran his tongue over her lips, slowly teasing her until she opened to him on a sigh.

"All night?" he asked, rubbing his cheek against hers breathing the question in her ear. She shivered in his arms, a tingle starting low in her belly at his tone.

"Mmm-hmm," she met his mouth again, pulling his bottom lip lightly between her teeth.

Reid lifted her shirt, pulling the fabric off over her head. He traced her breasts beneath the lace of her bra, watching her eyes darken under his touch. He pulled the straps down off her shoulders, running his fingers over her skin as she arched towards his touch. Her moan heated his blood and he reached for her mouth again, swallowing the sound in his throat.

"Katy," he breathed out her name, looking into her eyes as she opened them slowly.

Scarlett focused on his hazel gaze, saw his need matched her own and moved against him. She backed off his lap for only long enough for them to strip out of the rest of their clothes…

When she slid back on his lap, he fought down his body's reaction, holding himself in control despite the desire to lose himself in her. He tasted her skin, using his teeth to scrape lightly over sensitive flesh, teasing her with his tongue and lips until her skin flushed and her felt her tighten around him. Unable to stop his own response, he followed her over the edge…

Scarlett leaned over him, leaning her forehead to his, framing his face in her hands. She let him draw her down across his chest as he lay back on the couch. Giving herself a moment to catch her breath, she listened to his heart pounding against her ear.

"It's going to be a long night…" he teased, hiking her up higher on his body so he could look into her face. Scarlett gave a throaty laugh.

"Promise?" she asked, tracing the laugh lines at the corner of his eyes.

"Mmm-hmm…" he watched her for a few minutes, seeming to study her face. She saw him bite on his lip as a small frown played between his brows.

Moving her finger to the area, she touched it lightly.

"What's wrong, farm boy?" she leaned her chin on her hand, looking down at him.

"Nothing," he lied, his frown deepening for a moment before he closed his eyes.

"Hey…" she gave him a little poke, dropping a kiss to his nose. "Don't do that," she told him, kissing his mouth and pulling away. He met her eyes again.

"I was just, thinking…" he shrugged.

"Mmm. About what?"

Scarlett saw him study her again, and cocked her head to the side, waiting for him to say what was bothering him.

"You remember… well, everything," he said, the frown moving back into his eyes. She raised a brow.

"And that's making you upset?" she asked, not understanding the look he was giving her.

Spencer shook his head. "No- I'm just thinking that I wish I could… I don't remember things, daily things, every time with you… not like you do. I wish I could, so I could hold onto some of these memories forever."

He met her eyes, seeing the surprise there.

"I've been trying sometimes, to freeze the moments, like how you were teaching Norie back around Christmas… I'm getting better at it," he gave her a half smile, blushing a little.

"Oh, really?" Scarlett grinned at the sweet look on his face. She touched her lips to his briefly before pulling back again. "What things are you trying so hard to remember, my love?"

Spencer closed his eyes, breathing in her scent. When he opened them, looking into her green gaze, he shook his head.

"Everything, Scarlett… your laugh, your smile… how your face looks when you tease me… The sound of your voice when you sing… Just, everything," he explained, his voice turning rough.

"I don't ever want to forget anything…"

Scarlett watched him closely, seeing how badly the thought was bothering him. A part of him was afraid…

She sat up, keeping her hand on his chest, holding him in place beneath her. Scanning around the room quickly, she grabbed her shirt, slipped it back on and then picked up his phone from where it had fallen on the floor from his pocket.

Spencer gave her a strange look. "What are you doing?" he asked, a bit nervously.

"Giving you a memory to keep," she winked at him. He saw her flip open the video mode and his face blushed furiously.

" _Scarlett_!" he choked on his breath, his eyes widening towards the device. "Mercy…" he made a grab for her hand.

Scarlett laughed. "Spence… chill… I'll keep it PG. I promise," she chuckled, leaning forward over him.

"See?" she indicated the screen, showing him the angle. All that showed was their faces within the frame. "That's why I put my shirt back on… You'll be the only one who knows what's beyond the view," she nuzzled his cheek.

"You'll _remember_ ," she purred in his ear, rocking against his hips. "Any time you watch it…"

"Ah, god…" Spencer swallowed against the tightness in his throat. "You're, uh, serious?" he asked.

Scarlett traced her finger down his throat, watching his eyes. "Completely serious, sweet boy. You asked for mercy, though… so it's you're call… yes or no?"

She touched his chin, turning his head towards the camera. He could see their profiles clearly in the picture, nothing else would fit into the frame… he saw Scarlett arch her brow at him in the screen, giving him a sly smile. His heart tripped in his chest.

"Yeah… Yes…" he nodded, looking away from the video back to her face. Scarlett's grinned widened.

"Yes?" she asked again for confirmation as she reached to tap the record button.

"Yes…" he said a bit more surely this time, trying not to blush when he heard the tone beep. Turning his head slightly, he could see Scarlett lean into the frame over him, looking down at him with a smile.

"Spence," she said his name on a throaty chuckle, touching the side of his cheek lightly. He quickly turned his eyes back to her when he felt his body respond to the sound of her voice, avoiding looking into the camera as a blush heated his skin.

"You are crazy," he told her, trying to regain composure.

"Certifiable…" she nodded. Her hair fell on her face and he tucked it back behind her ear, around to the opposite side of her neck, so she was in a better view. She gave him a smirk.

"I warned you I was a bit of an exhibitionist, Reid," she grinned evilly. Spencer widened his eyes and raised his brows at her, making a face. Her giggle made him smile, and she leaned forward to capture his mouth under hers.

"I love your laugh," he said quietly, watching her face, starting to forget about the camera.

Scarlett touched his lips, tracing them with a finger. "Mmm," she rested her chin on her hand, gently stroking his cheek. "I love your smile…" she told him, leaning closer to nip at his lips.

"I love being the reason you smile," she brushed a kiss to his nose, moving back to study his face. She brushed a lock of hair off of his forehead, leaned up and kissed his brow.

The movement rocked their hips together and she grinned at him.

"Ah… god…" he groaned slightly at the contact.

"I love making you squirm," she chuckled softly.

"Probably because you're good at it," he retorted, giving her a lop-sided grin. He pulled her down for another kiss. She deepened it, moving against him again. He wrapped his arms tightly around her waist.

"Stop," he admonished her. Scarlett tightened her muscles against him, without moving her body, raising her brows with a smirk. He closed his eyes and swallowed hard.

"Mercy," he whispered.

"Oh, poo. You're taking the fun away," she pouted. Spencer rose up slightly, nipping at her bottom lip.

"I love you, my crazy girl…" he told her, his voice turning husky with emotion.

"As I love you, my farm boy," she responded. He buried his face against her neck, inhaling her scent, trailing light kisses along her neck and over her jaw.

"Sing for me, Katy," he asked. "I want to hear you sing…"

Scarlett smiled softly, watching the love in his eyes. She reached over to where she'd set her phone on the side table, moving out of the view of the camera for a brief moment. She scrolled through her playlist and chose a song that she sang around the house, because she knew he liked it.

Scarlett settled back against his chest as the piano played through the speakers. Kissing him softly, she sang along with the song "Skinny Love" in a cover by Birdie…

Spencer watched her as she kept her eyes locked to his, the words fanning over his skin on her breath.

 _Come on skinny love just last the year,  
Pour a little salt we were never here,  
My my my, my my my, my-my-my my-my...  
Staring at the sink of blood and crushed veneer._

 _Tell my love to wreck it all,  
Cut out all the ropes and let me fall,  
My my my, my my my, my-my-my my-my...  
Right in the moment this order's tall._

Spencer stole a kiss from her lips as she smiled down at him. She touched his nose and grinned as she sang the chorus to him, rocking her hips slightly. __

 _And I told you to be patient,  
And I told you to be fine,  
And I told you to be balanced,  
And I told you to be kind,  
And in the morning I'll be with you,  
But it will be a different kind,  
'Cause I'll be holding all the tickets,  
And you'll be owning all the fines._

 _Come on skinny love, what happened here?  
Suckle on the hope in light brassieres,  
My my my, my my my, my-my-my my-my...  
Sullen load is full, so slow on the split._

 _And I told you to be patient,  
And I told you to be fine,  
And I told you to be balanced,  
And I told you to be kind,  
And now all your love is wasted,  
Then who the hell was I?_

 _'Cause now I'm breaking at the britches,  
And at the end of all your lines._

Scarlet traced his temples, kissing his brow as she sang the next words to him. __

 _Who will love you?  
Who will fight?  
And who will fall far behind?_

 _Come on skinny love,  
My my my, my my my, my-my-my my-my...  
My my my, my my my, my-my-my my-my._

As the music ended, Spencer reached over to shut off the video…

"I need you," he said, rolling her under him and shut off the recording.


	26. Chapter 26

Chapter 26

Scarlett leaned back from Spencer's side, looking down at his sleeping face. She watched a slight smile pull at his lips and resisted the urge to touch it.

She turned instead, picking up his phone and lying back down on his shoulder beside him. She hit the record button on the video once more, mentally knowing that the angle it was at would keep them both in the feed.

Scarlett looked from his face, up into the camera.

"I don't know when you'll find this… or what will be going through your mind when you do, my sweet boy… but something is telling me to leave you this, and I always go with my gut…" she spoke quietly, so not to wake him from his sleep.

"I love you, Spencer Reid. I've loved you for lifetimes that I can't even remember," she told the camera. "Nothing touches that, and nothing will ever change it."

"And I will love you for forever more…" she whispered. Her heart hurt at the intensity of the emotion that was on her, and a tear reached the corner of her eye, falling down her cheek.

" _Pour tous les temps_ ," she breathed out. "For all time, my sweet farm boy… I promise."

Spencer turned to her in his sleep, gathering her closer, tucking his face into her neck.

" _Pour tous les temps_ , Katy…" he mumbled, kissing her temple. "I love you, crazy girl…"

Scarlett smiled at him, kissing his face gently. She looked back at the camera and blew a kiss towards it.

"As I love you, farm boy…" she said to him via the video as she shut it down. Putting the phone away, she curled up against him, pressing her lips against the hollow of his throat and fell asleep in his arms.

Spencer woke up with the sunlight streaming from a strange angle across his face. He curled his arm around Scarlett's weight at his side, cracking an eye open, not quite sure where he was…

Scarlett stretched against him, kissing his shoulder under her cheek. He squinted slightly at the light. She noticed and moved to block the light from his eyes.

"How's your head, farm boy?" she asked, giving him a cheeky grin.

"Not too bad, I guess," he said. "I've felt worse," he told her truthfully.

"That's good news…" she smiled, moving closer, nipping at his neck…

They both froze when they heard a knock on the door.

"Shit," Scarlett moved off the couch and hurried over to the monitor, toggling to the view of the door. "It's James…" she scowled, throwing a look to Spencer.

"I've got this," Reid headed over to the door, pulling on his pants along the way. He left his hair mussed and his button undone, giving Scarlett a quick wink.

"Hold on a minute," he called out.

Scarlett laughed at the smug look on his face as he waited for her to pull on her own clothes before he answered the door...

Spencer pulled the door open, meeting Thorne face to face.

"Hey…" James looked uncomfortable as he met Spencer's eyes.

"Hey," Spencer replied coolly. He arched a brow. "Can I help you with something? I'm, uh, kind of in the middle of something…" he smirked.

"Uh, yeah- sorry about that…" James cleared his throat. "But, can I talk to Katy a minute?" he asked.

Scarlett moved to the doorway, ducking under Reid's arm, linking her arm possessively around his waist. Spencer rested his arm over her shoulders, not moving away.

"Right, okay… you good here?" James asked Scarlett.

"Peachy, Boy Scout…" she grinned. "Just getting to know the new guy a little better," she gave him an impish grin.

"Uh, right… consenting adults and all things considered… Just wanted to double check…" he shrugged. He looked back into Reid's eyes again.

"Yep, we are good," Spencer said, letting his gaze travel down over Scarlett again. He seemed to remember something and looked up at Thorne.

"Did Mel make it back okay? She was hitting the tequila pretty hard…" he asked.

James nodded. "Got her squared away last night…"

"And Mike?" Reid asked, judging the other man's reaction.

"I'm checking on him next… he ducked out of the bar just before you guys left…"

"'Kay," Spencer shrugged nonchalantly. "He seemed a bit pissed off about something last night," he commented.

"That's just Mike. But I'll check on him…" Thorne met Scarlett's slow grin. "Okay- I'll let you get back to… uh, whatever…"

"Mmm-hmm, thanks Boy Scout…" Scarlett dipped her fingers into the waistband of Reid's underwear and dragged him back from the doorway. "Talk to you later…" she nudged him back, pulling Spencer down into a kiss.

Reid pushed her up against the wall, returning the kiss as he shut and locked the door.

"Your friend was worried about you," Spencer said loudly enough for his voice to carry to the other side of the wall.

"Looks like," Scarlett agreed. "He's a nice guy…"

"And yet you came back with me last night…"

"Mmm, I've got a thing for older men," she teased, also letting her words carry to James to keep up the cover.

They waited a few more minutes until they heard his footsteps back away from the door.

Scarlett eased away, heading back to the monitor. "He really is a sweet kid," she said as she watched Thorne walk down the hall. She split the video feeds into the other halls, including the ones that fed from the area of the labs.

"Uh-huh," Reid agreed. "It was nice of him to check on Katy," he offered. "And his other friends…"

"Yep, even though poor Katy is probably going to have the rep of a slut after last night," she giggled.

"Poor Katy… lucky Professor Ryan," Spencer joked, grabbing her close once again. "Lucky me," he teased, kissing her throat.

Scarlett stopped him.

"Spence- look…" she scowled at the image on the screen, which showed someone entering the lab from a distance. She quickly entered the code to bring up the interior camera.

Reid looked down at the screen and saw Mike come into view. "This isn't good…" he muttered.

"No," she looked up at Spencer.

He reached around her, flipping the screen back to the hall, where James was standing outside of Mike's door way. They saw him pull a note off of the door, scowl and curse as he read it. Balling up the note into his fist, James headed towards the labs.

"It just got worse," Reid frowned, quickly grabbing the rest of his clothes. "We've got to get down there…"

"Did you catch what the note said, boy?" Scarlett searched his eyes, seeing the concern there.

"Yeah," he shook his head. "It was a suicide note, Katy…"

Scarlett tensed, grabbing her keys from her purse, hurrying into her own room. She grabbed a suitcase quickly out from under the bed, pulling out her real credentials and her gear, slipping on her vest and gun belt. She looked up when she saw Reid enter her room, similarly outfitted.

"You alright to do this, Reid?" she squinted at him, judging his hangover.

"Yeah- I already put in the call to the team," he told her. "The others are on their way… Morgan and Rossi are not far… they'll get here first." he said, meeting her gaze steadily.

"Alright," she nodded. "You stay behind me," she warned him. "Agreed?" she waited for his response before allowing him to leave.

"Agreed," he stated. "I'm good Scarlett. I wouldn't take a chance with being your back up if I wasn't…" he scowled. "I'd insist we wait…"

"Right," she blew out a tense breath. "Okay- what was their eta?" she asked.

Spencer looked down at his watch. "Give them another ten," he looked over at the screen on her monitor. "But I don't know if we've got that much time," he stated, indicating that Thorne had just entered the lab.

Mike had stopped whatever he'd been doing and looked at his friend. They could see the men were arguing about something.

"Shit…" Scarlett headed out the door at a jog, Reid following close behind her.

Scarlett entered the lab through a side door, coming up behind where they had last seen Mike. Spencer covered the hallway, feeling his heart in his throat as Scarlett slid quietly into the room. He turned his head slightly, saw her nod and followed her into the lab.

They could hear voices arguing in the next room. Scarlett moved closer to the doorway, pushing it open slightly to better hear the conversation.

Spencer held back a bit, giving the team their location via the com-link at his shoulder.

"Suspect is in the secondary interior lab. There is a civilian inside also…" he relayed, keeping his voice lowered.

" _We are here, heading towards your location from the opposite side_ ," was Rossi's reply.

"Got it…" he acknowledged the response in his ear. He saw Scarlett nod that she'd gotten the message. She tilted her head towards the slightly open door, waiting for him to join her as she listened to the men in the next room.

"What do you think this will accomplish?" Thorne's voice rose, obviously trying to dissuade Mike from whatever it was that he was doing.

"I have to make them see," Mike's voice came out on a whine. "Nobody is worried! Nobody cares!"

"Dude, that's not true… they've increased security, they've done a lot…"

"I told them to shut it down! They aren't listening! Nobody is listening to me! I sent letters to the paper and they didn't even _acknowledge_ it!" Mike shouted, grabbing at his hair. Scarlett saw the gun in his hand and stiffened, catching Reid's eyes. He nodded that he saw it.

"I'm listening… I've _been_ listening, Mike- come on…" James took a step closer to his friend.

Mike shook his head. "It's not enough! They won't shut up!" he grabbed his head again, his face contorting in pain. He pointed the gun at Thorne when he took another step closer. "Stay back!"

Scarlett saw Spencer's eyes narrow and nodded again when he indicated they had to go in… Thorne was way out of his league…

She slipped into the room, her own weapon trained on the younger man who was obviously in some sort of a breakdown. His eyes were wild when she caught his gaze.

Spencer stayed to Scarlett's side, covering her as she spoke calmly to the disturbed man.

"Mike, we heard you… we are with the FBI- now, drop the weapon," she warned him. "I don't want to hurt you…"

James's eyes widened when he saw Scarlett move out into the lab. His surprise doubled when he saw Spencer move in beside her.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

"Mike, look- they were listening… See? They are FBI- they were just undercover. You did get their attention…" James told the other man. "You don't need to do anything!"

Spencer saw Mike shake his head. "They won't… they won't stop!" he cried, holding his head again, moving the gun off of Thorne.

"Who won't stop?" Reid said gently, moving a little closer. Scarlett saw him hold his hands up slightly, showing them to Mike before he holstered his weapon. He took another tentative step towards the young man.

"Are you hearing voices, Mike?" he asked, keeping his gaze levelled with his.

Mike threw a look over at James, who shook his head vehemently. "I didn't say a word! I swear!"

Reid spoke again to call Mike's attention back to him. "No, Mike… nobody said anything- I'm a doctor… I can see the signs…" he assured the man as he stood closer.

"A doctor? With the FBI?" Mike asked suspiciously.

"Yes… I can show you my credentials if you want proof," he stated, reaching for his hip, taking the wallet and flipping it open. Mike glanced at the ID then back at Reid's face.

"I study behaviors in the mind… I can see you are having trouble, Michael, and I know how badly you want it to stop…"

Mike raised the gun at Spencer…

"Reid!" Scarlett adjusted her stance, ready to fire. He saw her eyes narrow, with death written in them…

"No! Stand down, Ryan!" he yelled at her, raising a hand in her direction. The harshness of his tone had her easing up on the trigger, but she didn't lower her weapon.

"We are just talking here…" he threw her a look, asking her to trust him; then turned back to Mike.

"Isn't that right, Michael? We are only talking…"

"I can't make them shut up!" Mike lamented, moving the gun to his own head. "I can't make it stop!"

"I can help!" Reid moved closer, raising his voice, trying to keep the young man's attention. "I can get you to the right doctors, and they can help… you don't need to do this!"

"No- no, no…" Mike aimed at Thorne now. "Someone has to die- it has to happen or nobody will listen!"

Scarlett heard the com-link activate, she listened to Morgan say they were coming into the lab behind her. She raised her voice.

"Mike… you need to drop the gun! You are surrounded by FBI agents, and they _will_ listen to you but not while you are threatening innocent people!"

Mike looked over at her, saw the doors open behind her as more agents came into the lab. He backed up a few steps away from Reid.

"I set two timers under the stations…" Mike said calmly. "You won't find them in time… They are set to go off in less than two minutes…"

He raised his gun at James again, giving his friend a sad look.

"I'm sorry…" he cocked the hammer.

"NO!" Reid closed the distance, throwing his body into Thorne's, tackling him to the ground. He heard the report of the gun fire, felt a burn in his thigh as he landed hard on the ground on top of James, covering him with his body.

Scarlett fired at Mike's shoulder, intent on disarming him, as she heard shots from beside her, knowing Morgan and Rossi had also fired. She saw Reid flinch as he went down, grabbing at his leg.

"Spencer!" she ducked lower, beneath the line of fire as she ran to Reid's side. She slid to the ground before him, adding her hands to his where the blood was pouring from the wound.

"I'm fine!" Spencer shouted, pulling her behind him. "Get him out of here!" he shoved her back along with James towards the exit doors. "GO!"

"No! Not leaving you! Move it Reid!" she snapped angrily, dragging him along with them. Spencer grunted as he tried to put weight on his leg…

They both turned as Mike spoke again. He was down, bullets had hit his leg and arm, but he was still alive. But he didn't want to be…

"I'm sorry," he stated once more, put his gun back to his own head and pulled the trigger.

"No!" she heard James scream beside her.

Spencer mentally counted out the time they had been given… they were down to seconds.

"Get OUT!" he shoved Scarlett towards the doors as he felt Morgan and Rossi reach their sides. Derek hauled him up under his arms, dragging him out of the building behind Dave and Scarlett. James was pulled along by Scarlett's arm latched into his, still looking back in shock.

Spencer opened his com-link, shouting at the remaining members of their team to stay away from the lab entrances…

The others had returned a response that they were clear even as the explosion rocked the ground. Reid threw himself over Scarlett, covering her from the glass that blew out of the windows. The metal doors held back the concussion that hit them and they buckled slightly under the strain, but stayed on the hinges, keeping most of the damage inside the room.

Scarlett picked her head up, scanning the courtyard area quickly before looking up Spencer. Carefully, she removed some of the glass from his hair and neck, and then moved around him to put pressure on the wound on his thigh.

Reid sucked in a breath. "Ow!" he grimaced.

"Sorry babe," she said softly, meeting his eyes. "We've got to get the bleeding under control…"

James pulled off his shirt, ripping it into strips, tying one above the wound. "That should help…" he said, meeting Spencer's eyes. Reid gasped at the pain when Thorne tied another over the area where the bullet entered.

"Sorry- it has to be tight to work," James apologized. "Thanks, man…" he added, meeting Reid's eyes over Scarlett's shoulder.

Spencer understood he meant for getting him out of the way of the bullet that was now lodged in his leg. He clenched his teeth against the pain.

"Just doing my job…" he said to the younger man. "I'm sorry I couldn't help your friend…"

"Medics are on their way," Morgan informed them as he knelt down beside them. He looked in Spencer's eyes. "You holding up okay, kid?" he asked.

"Yeah- just hurts like all hell…" he admitted.

Scarlett winced as a pain moved across her lower back, but schooled her face against it. She dropped her head into Spencer's shoulder as he wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead.

"I'm okay, darling…" he told her softly. Scarlett shuddered against him, hugging him close.

Reid saw James look down at the top of her head and give him a questioning glance.

"Uh, yeah…" Spencer tried to nudge Scarlett back a bit but she only wrapped her arms tighter around his neck, needing to hold him close for the moment.

He sighed, kissing her hair. Meeting James's eyes again he just shrugged.

"I'm Dr. Spencer Reid, FBI- Behavior Analysis Unit," he said, re-introducing himself to the confused man. "This is my wife, Agent Scarlett Ryan…" he explained, lifting his hand awkwardly, offering a handshake and a slightly embarrassed grin.

Scarlett sighed heavily, finally releasing Reid when he angled towards James.

"Please. Sit still, Spence. You are still bleeding," she begged him; ignoring the conversation around her, worried about the amount of blood he was still losing. She glanced over at Thorne, and he saw the concern written on her face.

"Ah, okay," James met his smile as he shook Reid's hand. "That explains a lot…"

Thorne looked back at the blown out glass of the windows. "What a clusterfuck," the man shuddered. "I'm glad you both were here…" he stated, narrowing his gaze.

"I tried to get him help…" James said, looking back to Spencer. "I thought I had the situation handled… I didn't know…"

Spencer shook his head. "You had no way to know, James. You did the best you could," he told him, trying to assuage the younger man's guilt.

Scarlett looked over at James. "This isn't your fault…" she added.

The medics were coming in from the other side of the building where Derek was directing them towards Reid. She finally released his leg, moving out of his arms when they got to his side, but kept his hand in hers.

"I think you've won the next trip to the hospital, sweet boy…" she stated, meeting Reid's gaze.

Spencer saw them bringing a litter around the corner and rolled his eyes. "Great…" he huffed out a breath.


	27. Chapter 27

Chapter 27

Scarlett paced outside the doors of the OR, waiting for someone to tell her Reid was in recovery. She chewed on her thumb, standing on her toes to peer into the little window at the top of the door, trying to see if anyone was in the hallway.

When her back protested against the move, twinging in pain again, she lowered herself to a chair, breathing deeply until it passed. Penelope came over, sitting beside her and rubbed her back.

"You okay, Katy-bird?" Garcia asked, noticing the wince on Scarlett's face.

"Yeah, I'm fine, Penny. I think I may have strained my back or something," she said. "It kind of grabs a hold every once in a while. I'll be okay…" she assured her, leaning into her girlfriend's shoulder. "But I'll be better once they tell me Reid is out of surgery," Scarlett scowled as she stared at the doors again.

"He will be fine, honey…" Penny set her cheek on top of Scarlett hair. "He's been through this before. On the other leg…" she reminded Scarlett.

"Yeah, I know…" she frowned, thinking of the round scar that rode on his left thigh. She remembered hearing about it when it had happened a few years ago, the spring after she'd first met Spencer. She'd worried over him back then, too, even though she hadn't been a part of his life. Now he would have a matching scar on the right leg… and for the same reason… protecting another person from getting shot. She closed her eyes, pressing her fingers to her temples and rubbing them, letting out a frustrated sigh.

"Awe, baby," Penelope moved her hand higher to rub Scarlett's neck. "I wish there was something I could do to help," she crooned.

Scarlett gave her a weak smile. "Thanks, girl. Just being here and helping me keep my sanity is enough…" she said with stressed tears choking her voice. The others had stayed behind at the scene to help secure evidence and finish up details to close the case. Penelope had driven up to the hospital herself the moment she heard Spencer had been injured and needed surgery, knowing Scarlett wouldn't leave his side. She offered her shoulder once again.

"How is baby Reid holding up through all this stress?" Garcia asked with concern.

Scarlett placed a hand on her belly, sitting back further in the chair. She took Penny's hand in hers and rested it over the baby's head. Penelope smiled as she felt him move under her touch.

"He's doing just fine fairy god-momma," Scarlett gave her friend a small smile. "Better than his mommy at the moment…"

Penny rubbed her stomach a little, patting the baby. "Hang in there Mommy," she dropped a kiss to Scarlett's forehead. "They'll be out soon, I'm sure, and you'll be able to be with Daddy…"

Scarlett looked over as the doors opened, desperate for some news.

"Mrs. Reid?"

"Yes," she stood up to meet the nurse. "Dr. Reid is out of surgery?"

"Yes… he's in recovery, and doing fine. The surgeon recovered the bullet and stopped the bleeding. There weren't any complications, the bullet didn't damage the bone, it was only lodged in the muscle. He will need to stay off of it for a bit and may need physical therapy…"

Scarlett nodded, well aware of the protocol for the recovery process. "Is he awake? Can I see him?"

She felt Penelope take her hand and give it a quick squeeze.

"He hasn't woken up from the anesthesia yet, but I can take you back…" the older woman smiled. "Follow me…"

Scarlett kept Penny's hand tucked into hers as she pulled her along behind her, following the nurse.

Entering the room, she released her friend to move to the bedside. Spencer still had monitors attached to him, along with an oxygen mask covering the lower half of his face. Scarlett looked over the machines, reviewing the numbers, double checking for herself that he was alright. She shuddered slightly from nerves and pulled a chair closer to the bedside. Taking his hand in hers, she kissed it carefully and studied his face.

"The doctor will be in to talk to you and give you both some discharge instructions after he wakes up," the nurse stated.

"How long?" Garcia asked quietly.

"Most patients completely recover from the anesthetic within the hour," she answered. Looking at the clock on the wall, she met Penelope's gaze. "I expect he'll be in and out for a little longer…" she offered a smile as she looked over to where Scarlett sat holding his hand in both of hers, resting her forehead against it.

"He will be fine," she repeated for both of their benefit.

"Thank you," Penny nodded. She joined Scarlett at the bed. "He's fine, dolly…" she said as she patted her shoulder.

"I swear, Pens, as soon as he recovers from this, I'm stealing him away, going to the lake, and hiding out for a year…" Scarlett sighed. "Maybe two…" she squeezed his hand in hers, watching his face.

Penelope rested her chin on Scarlett's head, resting her arms around her neck in a gentle hug. "Hmm. Sounds like a plan. Maybe there would be room in your cabin for two more?" she asked. "I'd like to steal my agent away for a good vacay too…"

Scarlett reached up at her neck and patted Garcia's hands. "Yeah, the cabin has four bedrooms, actually. Maybe JJ and Will would want to join us…"

Penelope sighed. "If we could make this happen, I'd be all over it…" she said. "We all deserve a rest…"

Scarlett reached over and brushed some of the hair off of Reid's forehead. "We'll make it happen, Pens. I swear…"

Now that the idea of getting away from work had entered her mind, she wanted it in the worst way.

"You've never even been to the cabin… neither has Spence," she scowled. "I've never even mentioned it to him, come to think about it," she shook her head.

"Well, we have to correct that, asap!" Penelope chuckled.

"Agreed…" Scarlett felt Reid's hand grip hers. "Maybe we'll just do the mandatory convalescence from there," she grinned. "Why wait…"

"Lake therapy… I like that idea," Penelope giggled.

Spencer lifted his hand groggily, pulling at the mask on his face. Scarlett reached over and lifted it off of him before he snapped it and hurt himself.

"Hello boy…" she smiled at him as he opened his eyes.

"Hello girl," he breathed out, focusing in on her face. "Everything went alright?" he asked.

"Perfectly fine," Scarlett kissed his cheek. "You are becoming an expert…"

"Not an achievement I want on my record," he mumbled, sliding in and out of consciousness from the anesthetic.

"Mmm. Then stop getting hit, farm boy…" she teased, leaning closer to touch her lips to his.

Spencer smiled under her kiss. "Once more, like you mean it," he grinned dreamily.

Scarlett laughed and obliged him with another kiss as he went back under. She looked over at Penny.

"Definitely make those plans. I'm hiding away with my husband for a while…"

"Yay!" Garcia pulled out her phone, sending a text to Derek. "I'll tell baby boy not to make any plans for the next week or two… We've both got time coming- it's about time we use it…"

"Amen to that…" Scarlett agreed, scooting onto the side of the bed beside Spencer. She felt the pain spasm across her back again and sucked in a breath.

"Hey, little one… was that from your back again?" Penelope asked, her brows furrowing in concern.

"Yeah, I must have done a number on it," she frowned, trying to stretch. The pain came in a wave, making her sweat.

"Uh huh, umm, punkin, I think you need to go down to the ER and have someone check you out…" Garcia told her.

"For a pulled muscle?" Scarlett raised her brow, breathing slowly through the pain. It left as quickly as it came.

"See, all gone," she told her. "I'll have to put some gel on it later… It's been helping a little, along with the yoga…"

"Been helping? Scarlett, how long has your back been hurting?" Penelope gawked at her.

"About three days or so… What?" Scarlett stopped talking at the look of concern on her friends face.

"Baby girl- you do remember you are pregnant, right? I mean, I know you aren't really big or anything…" Penny waved her hand at the small bump that sat in the middle of Scarlett's waist… "But you are like, what seven months along?"

"Um, thirty weeks. Our next visit is set at thirty two… Penny you can't be seriously thinking… It's way too early," Scarlett shook her head.

"I don't think babies know how to tell time, girlie girl. How many times have you had the pains hurt you in those three days, Katy?" she saw Scarlett consider the question as a frown marred her brow.

"Uh huh- see? And has the time between the pains been getting closer?"

Penelope watched as Scarlett's eyes rounded, worry moving into them.

"Oh, God…" she shot Penelope a frightened look. "Oh, no… Penny…"

Garcia gave her a stern look. "Please, Scarlett, don't panic. Just have a doctor check. For me. Please? For the baby… I don't like that you are actually wincing in pain, sweetie. That's bad… you suck up most pain that would flatten an average human… I've seen you walk off the pain after a knife wound," she scowled. "Please…"

"I can't… This cannot be happening… its way too soon…" Scarlett repeated, the denial quick to her lips as her mind refused the thought…

"No. You are going downstairs to the ER. Right now. If I have to drag you myself…" Penelope stood up, grabbing Scarlett's hand.

"No- wait… I'm not leaving Spencer, I can't… Penny- I can't do this…" Scarlett held her breath as another pain hit her back.

"Oh!" Penelope squeezed her hands. "Please, Scarlett. You are scaring me. I'll stay with Reid… I'll come down with him as soon as he is able…"

Scarlett breathed through the pain, holding onto Penelope's hand.

"Okay," she agreed after it eased. "Okay… I'll go. Just, come find me. Get Derek here… Penny, if something is going wrong…" she choked on a sob.

"Nothing is going wrong…" Penelope cut her off, as she pulled out her phone again, this time calling Morgan. "They can stop contractions, if that is what this is…"

"I can't do this alone…"

"You aren't alone! We are right here; we'll be right down… Go…" Garcia gave her a little shove. "Or I will call the nurse in here right now," she warned her, reaching for the call button.

"I'll go! I'm going!" she promised.

Scarlett moved over to Spencer. She kissed him quick.

"Wake up, boy…" she whispered in his ear. "I need you…"

She left the room, heading down to where she knew the emergency department was located.


	28. Chapter 28

Chapter 28

Spencer opened his eyes, staring at the stark white ceiling and florescent lighting overhead. He closed his eyes tightly against the brightness, turning his head before opening them again.

Scanning the room, he saw Derek sitting in the chair, and another glance told him Scarlett wasn't in the room. He looked back at Morgan, ready to ask where she was when he noticed the look on his brother's face. His nerves tripped into high gear. Something didn't feel right. His heart sped up against his ribs…

"What's wrong?" he immediately pulled himself into a sitting position.

Derek's eyes snapped over to his…

"He's up now baby girl…" he said into the phone at his ear. "Yeah- tell her we are on the way… right. Love you too. Tell her…" he said hurriedly hanging up the phone.

Spencer heard yelling through the phone and moved over to the side of the bed, pulling the IV out of his arm as he did. The pain that moved up his leg didn't even faze him. His eyes stayed glued to Derek's.

"Morgan… what happened? What's wrong? Where is Scarlett?" he asked, his voice raising as he fought down the panic in his chest.

"Hold up, Reid- wait…"

"Where are my fucking clothes?" he demanded, his eyes searching the room.

"I grabbed your go bag from the college dorm…" Morgan reached down and tossed the duffel to him. "They trashed the ones you were wearing…" he grabbed Reid's arm when Spencer's leg went out from under him.

"Hey… Hey! Kid!" Derek grabbed his shoulders and shook him a little. "Calm down! You're going to make things worse…"

"Where the _fuck_ is my wife?" Spencer snapped as he shoved his legs into a pair of sweats, ignoring the warning and the pain. "What's wrong? Something happened… What's wrong with the baby?"

Derek scrubbed his face tiredly. "I didn't say…"

"You didn't have to… Scarlett would be here, unless something was wrong with the baby…"

"Reid… It's okay- they are all okay… Downstairs… wait!" Derek grabbed him again when he tried to walk and fell.

"For fuck's sake, kid… Calm down! We don't need the both of you freaking out… calm the fuck down!" he shouted at his friend.

"Let me grab you a wheelchair. You won't make it down there on your feet," he yelled at him.

"Watch me!" Spencer shouted. "Scarlett needs me! Didn't you _hear_ her?" he looked at the phone still in Derek's hands.

Morgan gave him a look, turned and went out in the hall. When he came back in seconds with a set of crutches, Spencer scowled at him.

"Let's go, then…" Derek handed them over.

Spencer shoved his arms into a t-shirt, grabbing the crutches and followed as Morgan headed towards the elevators.

"What happened?" Spencer asked, nerves still fueling his adrenaline, helping him keep up with Derek's stride.

"Scarlett started getting back pain, so Penelope convinced her to have one of the doctors here check her out, just to be sure it wasn't contractions. Penny went down to stay with her as soon as I got here. Katy- didn't want you left alone."

"Kid… the doctors said she's in labor… They've got her on IV meds now, trying to stop it…"

Spencer whipped his head back to look at Morgan. "She's in _labor_? It's too soon…" he swallowed hard, willing the elevator to move faster.

"She's afraid, Derek… Jesus- can't you feel it?" he said without thinking. Morgan met Spencer's eyes.

"Yeah, kid…" Morgan moved them through the halls towards where Garcia had directed him. "Half the fucking world can probably feel it…" Morgan closed his eyes tightly, shaking his head.

"I talked to Mom… She called, I had to say something... Norie got on the line, too..." he mentioned.

Spencer gripped his hands into fists. "What did you tell them?" he asked, his voice turning quiet.

"What could I tell them? I said the same thing I did to you. The doctors are trying to stop the labor…"

They turned into a hall towards obstetrics and Spencer stood up straighter when he could hear Scarlett screaming…

He moved into the doorway, beating Morgan by seconds. He nearly slammed into Garcia as she blocked the entrance.

Reid eyed up the situation. Scarlett stood beside the bottom of the bed, shrieking at an orderly who was trying to grab her.

"What the fuck happened, Penny?" Derek asked, pulling her behind him when Scarlett kicked one of the orderlies, knocking him off his feet backwards and into the wall beside them.

"I don't know… She was panicking, her blood pressure went through the roof after they said she was in active labor… they tried to sedate her and she freaked… Derek- I don't know what set her off," she cried, grabbing onto his waist.

Reid pushed past the other two security guards, trying to get to Scarlett's side.

"You can't go in…" one of the uniformed guards stepped up to him.

"That's my wife," Spencer snapped. "Let me go to her, I can help!" he shouldered past the man and entered the room.

"Katy!" he shouted her name, over the sound of her screaming. "Scarlett!" he raised his voice. He noticed the direction she was looking in as she picked up an IV pole to use as a weapon.

One of the nurses, presumably the one who was trying to give her the sedative, was trapped in the corner, backed against the wall. Spencer saw the man's face and froze for a moment, startled by the resemblance. The nurse looked like a young version of Scarlett's abusive father…

 _Fuck_ … he thought, frightened for the man's life. If _he_ could see it- what must it have looked like to her? Reid looked back at Scarlett's eyes. They were distant, unfocused…

He put himself between the man and where Scarlett stood threatening him.

"Scarlett!" he yelled her name again, desperately trying to pull her out of the flashback before she did something she would regret.

"KATY!" he tried again, grabbing the pole as she swung it at him. Gripping it tightly, he yanked it forward, pulling her closer. Face to face with her now, he took her by the shoulders, shaking her…

"Crazy girl! Stop! Stop NOW!" he shook her again. "That's not _Rowan_! Scarlett! Look at me! Not him! Look at me!"

Reid held her tighter as she struggled against him. He threw a look over his shoulder to his brother.

"Get him out of here, NOW for fuck's sake!" he told him, indicating the nurse. "She thinks it's Rowan!" he panted, struggling against her and trying to stay upright on his injured leg.

Morgan moved behind Scarlett, grabbing her into a bear hug as she swung at Reid.

"Garcia, go!" he said as Penelope grabbed the nurse by the hand, dragging him out of the room.

Scarlett shoved at the both of them, trying to go after them.

"Scarlett, stop- knock it off! He's dead! Rowan is dead! Remember! You saw him kill himself! You can remember!" Derek said into her ear. She panted heavily, shoving back against him, trying to break free from his hold.

"Scarlett! Please!" Spencer leaned down into her line of sight. "It's okay… it's okay! He's gone…" he told her. "Focus on me…"

"Please, Katy- I'm here now! Right here… See me!" he demanded.

He reached to touch her cheek and she bit at his hand, her eyes wild…

"Stop it!" Morgan picked her up off her feet, pulling her back. "It's Reid!"

"Derek, don't! You might hurt her!" Spencer reached over, wrapping his arm around her neck and holding her against his chest. He held her tightly, locking his arms behind her shoulders, pinning her arms between them.

Spencer sucked in a breath when her teeth sunk into his neck. She continued to struggle as she was restrained between the both of them.

"Breathe Katy," he begged her. "Please… come back to me."

Spencer saw the doctor move into the room, now that she was restrained between the two of them. He held up a needle, showing Spencer.

"I need to sedate her…" he told Reid. "It's for her own good; and the baby's…"

Spencer nodded, tears burning his throat.

"Do it," he said between clenched teeth, still holding her.

No sooner had they injected her, Scarlett slumped in his arms.

"Get her in the bed!" the doctor ordered. He held the IV line Scarlett had ripped out in her struggles and looked at another nurse. "We need a new line run…"

Spencer stepped back, allowing them to do their job and Penelope grabbed him around the waist, shoving him down into a chair.

"Sit, Reid… your leg is bleeding again," she worried over him.

Spencer ignored her, giving his attention to the monitors that were reading Scarlett's vital signs and the ones of their son's…

Scarlett's blood pressure was still dangerously high, but the baby's stats showed steady. He breathed a stressed breath, running a hand through his hair roughly, pulling the chair closer to the side of the bed.

"I'll have one of the nurses go ask your doctor to come up and check on you, poodle…" she said gently. He felt her stroke a hand over his hair before she moved away.

Morgan gave Penny a quick kiss as she passed him. He moved across the room, grabbed another chair and sat beside Spencer. He saw him reading the monitors, his eyes tracking several at once.

"Is she any better?" he asked, looking from the monitors to Scarlett.

Spencer's eyes flicked from the screens to meet Derek's face. "Her heart rate is returning to normal. Her blood pressure has started to drop, thanks to the sedative…" he shuddered slightly, the image of her out of control seared into his mind.

Derek noticed, reaching over to set a hand on his shoulder. "Reid…"

Another nurse came into the room, carrying restraints to strap Scarlett down. They both stood up. Spencer leaned against the bar on the bed.

"That's not necessary," he demanded, trying to stop her doctor from tying her down.

The doctor looked over at him. "I'm afraid it is, Dr. Reid. We can't take a chance she will wake up still in a psychotic episode…"

"What?" Reid shook his head. "No, it wasn't…"

"We won't risk our personnel just on your personal feelings… We are ordering anti-psychotics added to her medications…"

"You can't do that!" Spencer argued. "She's not in an _episode_ \- she has PTSD and had a flashback… I can guarantee-"

The doctor shook his head. "You can't guarantee anything, Dr. Reid. As long as she is my patient…"

"Then consider her no longer your patient!" Reid snapped. "I'll take her home…"

"She can't be moved…" the doctor argued.

"You are _not_ giving her anything against her will. Especially not anything that might hurt the baby… I will have her doctor come here…" he told the older man.

"You-" Reid looked over at the nurse who was still moving closer to the bed. "Don't restrain her," he warned the man. "Step away from my wife…"

Morgan stepped in between the bed and the nurse, crossing his arms over his chest, flexing the muscles in his arms.

"He said step away," Derek reiterated the warning.

"We can't have our people working under your threats," the doctor snapped, angry that he was losing control of the situation.

"Then stay out," Spencer told him. "I'll monitor her until her doctor gets here," he narrowed his gaze at the man.

"You can't do that!" the doctor stammered indignantly. "You don't have authority to work here, or to bring in another doctor!"

Spencer took out his phone, making a call to their obstetrician. He turned his back on the other man.

"Watch him," Morgan grinned evilly.


	29. Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Penelope re-entered the room, dragging Reid's surgeon behind her. She saw Morgan standing guard over his sister while Spencer was on the phone, barking orders at someone. She looked to the bed, seeing Scarlett now sleeping peacefully and shuddered in relief. Seeing her friend so far out of control and not being able to help her had hurt…

Spencer disconnected his call, pleased that their doctor had said she would make the trip up to the hospital. One problem solved… he eyed up the other doctor who was still insisting on giving Scarlett anti-psychotics.

"Her OB is on her way… You can leave. My wife is no longer under your care," he said icily.

"You can't just bring in outside doctors to this hospital!" the man blustered. "You have to get clearances and permission…"

"Maybe I can help with that…" the surgeon who had operated on Reid's leg stepped forward, looking over the situation.

Spencer eyed him up suspiciously. "I'm sorry- you are…?" he asked.

The surgeon extended his hand. "I didn't have the opportunity to introduce myself before your surgery…"

Spencer took the man's hand.

"I'm Dr. Thorne, chief of emergency surgery. I'll get your OB the clearances she needs to treat her patient while she is here," he told Reid levelly.

"I'm also the director in chief of the ER… I met your wife when she came in to the emergency department with her labor pain," he said, throwing a look over at the OB doctor.

"Which makes her _my_ patient first- I believe you were dismissed, Dr. Edmonds…" he told the man cockily.

Reid looked between the two men and saw a brief battle of wills. The surgeon won.

Edmonds scowled at Spencer. "Fine- if any of the staff gets hurt any further, it'll be on your heads…" he stomped out of the room.

Reid let out a sigh of relief. "Thank you," he said to the surgeon gratefully. He saw the man give him a familiar smile. He tilted his head slightly, studying the man.

"Anything I can do to help you or your wife, Agent… Doctor, I mean," he nodded.

"As I said, I didn't have time to introduce myself before you were taken into surgery, but my son had called me, explaining what had happened and that you were heading here… so I took over your case," he looked over at the bed. "And your wife's, also… I'm more than happy to do anything that can help…"

Spencer's eyes widened a little. "Dr. Thorne- James is your son…"

The man nodded. "Yes sir- and I am in your debt… You protected mine. Now let me help with yours…"

Reid felt relief wash over him. He moved back, staggering slightly and sit down heavily in the chair.

"Thank you," he said again, feeling slightly weak.

"No need for thanks," Dr. Thorne said. "We are both just doing our jobs," he responded.

"Now, if you don't mind, I'd like to see what damage you may have done to my earlier work…" he grinned, nodding towards the blood that stained the leg of the sweatpants.

"Yeah," Reid grimaced. "Right…"

Thorne stepped out of the room briefly, re-entering with some scrubs and a nurse close behind him.

"You're going to have to change out of those…" Thorne commented, handing him the scrubs.

Spencer turned bright red, looking over at Garcia. "I, uh, didn't exactly think to grab anything other than the sweats when I ran down here," he admitted.

Penelope moved from Scarlett's side to turn her back and look out the window.

Spencer rolled his eyes when he heard her chuckle.

"I didn't figure you to be a commando sort of guy, pretty boy," she teased, giving him some privacy of sorts. He could see her grin reflected in the window. She averted her eyes as he tugged on the string at his waistband.

"Shut up," he blushed harder, shucking out of the now ruined sweats, balling them up over his lap to cover himself. He sat down on the edge of Scarlett's bed and let the surgeon check out the stitches on his thigh.

"Nothing has torn," Thorne said, his voice sounding reassuring. "The extra pressure just caused the bleeding. I'm going to have to ask you to stay off the leg and keep it elevated as much as you possibly can until it heals a bit more…"

Reid nodded, pulling on the scrub pants. He watched Thorne move over to the computer at the side of the bed, pulling up Scarlett's files. Reading over his shoulder, Spencer felt relieved at the changes Thorne added, removing the other doctor's orders, adding his own instead. He turned back, meeting Spencer's eyes.

"I'm adding your name in on her case, Dr. Reid, along with your OB- that way you'll have access to her care…"

Spencer swallowed and nodded. "I appreciate that. I'm not a medical doctor…" he started to say but Thorne interrupted him.

"I looked up your credentials, Doctor. Your BA in psychology gives you medical clearance enough to be on Agent Ryan's case, especially since you've made it clear she won't need any access to controlled substances," he added.

"No. No drugs," Spencer scowled. "Scarlett wouldn't want them…"

"Then we are good here…" Thorne looked over at the clock. "I've got to get to surgery…" he turned to shake Reid's hand again.

"If you need anything else, please tell the staff to have me paged. I'll be back later to check on you both…"

Spencer gripped the man's hand. "I appreciate everything you're doing…"

Thorne nodded. "And I appreciate what you did for my boy…" he glanced down at Reid's thigh.

"This could have been a much different type meeting if you hadn't gotten him out of the way," he shook his head a little, meaning he understood that Reid could have been notifying him that his son had been murdered.

"So, I'm grateful and at your service," he said with conviction, clasping Spencer's hand a moment longer.

"Take care of your wife…" he said, turning to leave the room with a nod to Morgan and Garcia.

"Thanks," Reid said quietly.

Spencer moved back to Scarlett's bedside, pulling the chair closer and took her hand. He looked across the bed to where Penelope now sat holding the other one, Derek right beside her.

"Thanks for staying with her," he said to Garcia, seeing the tears in her eyes.

"I couldn't stop her," Penny choked up little and blew out a stressed breath. "I tried, I knew it wasn't her… that something happened- but I had no idea what it was…"

"You stayed with her, Garcia. That was important," Spencer told their friend, reaching over to clasp her hand under his. "She needed you and you stayed…"

Penelope laid her head back against Derek and closed her eyes.

"I was trying to talk her down; I could see that she was making things worse by getting upset over being in labor. They said the sedative would help her relax and allow the other medicine to work better. She was starting to listen to me, but then the nurse came in the room…" she shuddered.

"It was bad, guys. Real bad… she hurt two of the nurses. They weren't expecting her to be dangerous with her bare hands- I tried to warn them!- but she was intent on getting to that other guy… she threw them out of her way. One hit the wall and the other…"

Penny cringed. "I think heard a bone break; she got a hold of his arm…" she said quietly. "I knew she wouldn't want to be responsible for hurting someone, so I put myself in between them…"

Morgan wrapped her tighter against him. "She might have hurt you, Penelope…" he buried his face in her hair.

"I knew she wouldn't… I swear I saw her look at me- that she saw _me_ , if just for a minute… but then she lost it again. I didn't realize that the other nurse looked like Rowan- I would have gotten him out of the room first. Maybe she could have pulled herself back in if she hadn't been staring one of her biggest fears in the face…" Penny stated. "But, I didn't know…"

"You had no way to know, baby girl," Morgan reassured her. "You couldn't tell what her mind was seeing… that's her own personal hell," he scowled, looking at his sister's sleeping face.

"Between being worried about the baby, learning she was in labor… Reid getting shot and losing that college kid to a head shot this morning- it was just too much for her mind to fight off..." Derek said. "It would have been too much for anyone's, let alone hers…"

Reid looked over at the monitor that was connected to the baby. He didn't want to think about what had happened in Scarlett's mind. Worse- that he hadn't been with her to help her through it…

"She isn't in labor any more. The drugs did work, they stopped it…" he commented, relief clear in his voice.

"Thank God," Garcia said, looking at Scarlett's face. "Hear that baby girl. Your little beastie is fine…" she told Scarlett, leaning closer and patting her hand.

Spencer saw Scarlett's lips twitch. "Little beastie?" he raised a brow at Penelope.

"Hey, that's what she nicknamed him, not me," Penny chuckled. "She said since he was a Samhain baby, he was going to be a beastie…"

Spencer shook his head at her. Gently laying his hand across Scarlett's stomach he spoke to the baby.

"You stay put for a while then little beastie… It's not Halloween yet. You gave me and your mommy quite a scare…"

He smiled softly as he felt the baby move under his palm.

Scarlett's hand moved to cover his, stroking his fingers as he held their son.

"He's impatient like his momma," she whispered quietly, not quite finding her voice through the drug induced haze.

Spencer leaned over, resting his forehead against her side. Her other hand touched his hair, stroking it.

"We're okay, farm boy…" she said gently.

"I thought you said this was my turn in the hospital," he tried to tease her, but the words stuck thickly in his throat. Tears of relief burned his eyes and he fought against them. She was coming out of the sedative without further issues from the flashback...

"Beastie had other plans, I guess," she breathed out the words, still feeling dazed. Scarlett looked at his eyes.

"He's alright?" she asked.

"He's fine, Scarlett. They stopped the labor…" he reassured her.

Scarlett turned her head to look at Penelope. She squeezed her hand. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Pens…" she stammered, remembering some of what happened.

"It's okay, little one- it will be alright…"

"Did I hurt you?" Scarlett asked, worried. "Did I hurt any of you?" she closed her eyes, trying to remember…

"No- Scarlett… Look at me…" Reid felt a little twinge of panic when she closed her eyes.

Scarlett heard the anxiety and met his gaze quickly. He felt relief when her green eyes held his steadily.

"I'm here, Spence," she said softly. "I don't remember what happened…" she told him, fear filling her eyes. "I blacked out…"

Scrubbing his face roughly, Reid moved closer, taking her hand. "It's okay, beautiful," he said gently.

"I think I hurt someone…" she frowned, trying to recall some of her memories. "I… oh. My God…" her face blanched as the face of the nurse popped into her mind.

Spencer grabbed her hand as he saw her heart rate jump on the monitor. Morgan took her other hand.

"Oh, please… no…"

"Katy- don't… please… it is okay. We are here… right here. Just stay with us…" Penelope rubbed her arm above Derek's hand.

"I was trying…" Scarlett stammered. "I was trying to kill him… oh my god…"

"Sweetheart, it's okay… it's alright, he's fine. You didn't get to him," Reid told her. "It didn't happen…"

"That's not the point!" she cried. "I could've…"

"You _didn't_ , sweet girl… that _is_ the point," Garcia told her.

"You stopped me," Scarlett grabbed Penny's hand, squeezing it. "I could have hurt you…"

She turned her eyes to meet Spencer's. "You tried to hold me back… I bit you," she grabbed his hand, looking it over. There wasn't a mark there and she met his eyes again.

"I bit you… I remember biting you," she told him. Scarlett sat up in the bed.

Reid moved to sit alongside her. "I'm fine, crazy girl," he told her gently.

She scowled darkly, scanning him over. Her eyes locked onto the side of his neck and she pulled him closer. A red mark stood out on his throat, an impression of the outline of her teeth marring his skin. She traced her fingers over the spot.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, tears moving into her eyes. "To all of you, for putting you through all of this…"

"Katy, it's not so bad," Spencer touched her chin, lifting her face to his…

Morgan poked her side gently.

"Aw, come on sis… give yourself a break. I'm pretty sure Reid enjoyed it, anyways," he joked, trying to tease her out of worrying.

Scarlett threw him a dark look.

Spencer caught on to what Derek was trying to do and played along… he nudged her.

"Mmm-hmm, she knows I do…" he chuckled, catching her gaze. He nuzzled her ear.

Scarlett raised her brows in surprise at his comment. _Spencer was being playful in public… with sexual overtones_? She wrinkled her nose at him.

"Reid…" she huffed out his name and rolled her eyes at him. "Stop trying to distract me…" she told him. When he pulled the collar of his t-shirt aside, baring his throat to her, she growled lowly.

"Tease," she called him, seeing the grin threatening his lips.

Scarlett leaned over and scraped her teeth lightly over his neck, pressing a kiss to his adam's apple, and then moved to the mark, kissing it also…

Spencer stretched out beside her on the bed, wincing a little with the movement.

Penelope saw his grimace of pain. She left Derek's side and headed into the hall, coming back with extra pillows and blankets.

Reid shifted in the narrow bed; pulling Scarlett closer as Garcia tucked two pillows under his leg to elevate it, then threw the extra blanket over them.

"Thanks," he said to her.

"Don't mention it," Penny smiled, brushing some of his hair off his face. "The two of you should get some rest…" she told them as she reached for Derek's hand.

"We will go grab some food, leave you alone for a bit… so you can take a nap or something," she ordered.

"I don't think either of us are in any shape for 'or something'," Reid grinned. Scarlett rolled her eyes at him, poking his chest.

"I don't think that's what Penny meant, farm boy," she chastised him with a grin of her own. "Nice try, though…"

Spencer looked over her monitors once again, checking to make sure her vital signs were all still in the normal range. Tucking her into his side, he leaned over and kissed her lips.

"Then we will just have to settle for the nap, crazy girl…" he responded. Scarlett scooted up in the bed until her head rested in the crook of his neck. He turned his head so they were face to face on the pillow and watched her eyes.

Morgan patted Scarlett's leg as he followed Penelope out of the room.

"Call your mother and your daughter before you fall asleep," he mentioned to them. "I'd call them, but I'm sure they'd rather hear from you directly."

Spencer reached over to the side table, picking up his phone. "Got it," he told his brother. "We'll call them now," he opened the video chat app and held the phone above them so the screen held both of their faces in view.

Scarlett saw the screen open to Norie's face, pinched with worry.

"Daddy!" she squealed out. "Mommy! Oh my god, I've been so worried," she cried. "I was just going to call you…"

"Mama! Dad's on FaceTime! With Mommy!" she shouted into the next room.

"Thank God," they heard Frannie's voice over the speakers. "I'm coming…"

Fran scanned their faces on the screen. "You are okay?" she asked, watching them. "You are both okay. You're all okay," she let out a worried breath.

"Yes, mom- we are all okay, it's fine. The medicine worked, they were able to stop the labor- the baby is fine," Spencer answered her.

"Thank you, God," she said, hugging Norie to her chest. "We've been praying, baby girl…"

Scarlett nodded, her voice lost behind tears she felt burning her throat. Spencer held her tighter.

"Love you, both," she said to their images. "We are all alright now. I promise," she told them.

She felt Reid's lips press against her temple and leaned into the kiss, her family's love surrounding around her with warmth...

* * *

I hope everyone is enjoying the continuation of the 'Scarlett' series as much as I am enjoying writing about Spencer and Scarlett. There are several more chapters for me to finish editing and to post here- but I wanted to drop you all a quick note, because I realize it has been taking too long.

I have begun writing the next installment… although I'm not even certain of a title for it as of yet… it is in the works!

I apologize for the delay in the posting here, but between my own previously mentioned health issues (which at the moment are rearing up) I am dealing with a family health issue. My mother was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer. At the time I write this, she has been battling for 15 months, already beating so many odds. She is in good spirits and God has been so wonderful by granting us this time with her, without her being in pain. So I have been spending time with her and my family.

Again, I apologize for the delay, I appreciate every single one of you all. Writing is my escape, so I am continuing, however posting is a bit slow, and I hope you all will be patient with me. I also believe that God is God of any name, so if you all could or would, send up prayers for Bonnie, you know that I would appreciate that also... any way you pray, any religion, and any belief system- its all the same to me if done with love and respect.

I am interested in hearing what the readers may want to see, so if you have any ideas or suggestions, even if it's for a case or prompt, feel free to PM me and I'll be sure to credit your suggestions with any I may use.

Also, feel free to offer me any song/artist suggestions… As you can tell, music is one of my biggest muses. If any of the readers would have any Reid fanvids to suggest or have the ability to put one together that fits for Scarlett and Spencer's story (I don't, I wish I did!) I'd love to see it and promote it!

Thank you all again for your reviews and support! Love to you all!

CatGurl- I am still thinking of you.

Rene- Thank you for your help.

Brightest blessings!

~Becky

LadyBJKD


	30. Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Spencer followed Scarlett across a planked walkway, carefully negotiating the path with his crutches. Almost week of using them had already heightened his irritation, he found himself wishing he could leave the damn things behind already. He picked his head up when they reached the front door, studying the area.

Trees blocked the front from view of the road and lined the property with shade most of the day. The wrap-around deck led towards the back of the cabin to where the lake came right up to a dock at the edge of a lush yard. The whole place looked like something out of a picture. Even at this early hour he could see other people enjoying the water as boats from neighboring properties skimmed over the lake.

He could tell from his first glance that this wasn't just some small tourist type area. The whole town that was built around the lake was upscale affluent society, right down to the yacht club he had seen on the drive up…

"Uh, when are Garcia and Morgan coming up?" he asked Scarlett, uncomfortable with being here without them. He felt like he was trespassing.

"Tomorrow night…" she responded, leading him inside the large A-frame home, pressing codes into the alarm pad inside the doors. He swallowed hard as his eyes roamed around the great room, shaking his head in amazement.

"Tell me again how this is your place?" he squeaked out the question to her, noting the interior that was decorated with stylish top of the line furnishings and appliances. It didn't fit her style, not the Scarlett he knew anyway…

He could see it all from where he stood at the entrance, because the open floor plan was meant to unite the space as one large room. The focal point was a wall of sliding glass doors at the back of the cabin, leading the eyes to an amazing view of the lake.

"Jesus…" he muttered under his breath.

Scarlett shrugged off-handedly. "It was a gift," she stated.

"Katy," Reid huffed out her name on a tense breath. "You're telling me someone gave you a house… _this house_ … just as a gift? What for? A birthday present?" he questioned her again. The fact that she was being purposefully vague about answering wasn't setting well with him. Finding out that she owned property that he hadn't been aware of had been upsetting enough…

It always seemed like she was holding things back from him…

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "What difference does it make, Spence?" she asked. "It's mine. It sits here unused except for when the agent I hired rents it out, or when the cleaning crew comes up once a week, and when the people who take care of the horses sometimes come inside... So it's here, we all deserve a break, and I'm using it…" she stated, and saw the scowl settle on his features.

"You rent it out?" he asked. She noticed that he remained rooted to the foyer, as if he was reluctant to step inside any further.

Scarlett sighed with a shake of her head. He wasn't going to stop asking- it would go against his nature to just leave it be…

Spencer noticed her sigh as she moved back to his side. She caught him by the tie and dragged him further into the cabin.

"Come on sweetie. I'll show you how I came to own this place…" she told him with a grin, giving his neck a slight pull forward, encouraging him to follow.

Opening one of the doors to the side of the large front room, she tugged him along into what was a marked as a private office. A huge stone fireplace took up one wall alongside another row of sliding doors that led out onto the deck.

He looked around the room, his profiler's eyes noticing some personal pictures up on the mantle. Scarlett pulled one down and handed it to him.

"It was a gift," she told him again, pointing to the picture. Reid saw her standing centered in the photo, surrounded by friends of hers he'd met only a handful of times. Her friends from Chicago… the ones who would have been in her wedding party, if…

John Carter stood alongside her in the photo. It looked like it had been taken on the porch just outside these doors. Spencer felt a tightening in his chest and rubbed the heel of his palm against his heart.

"I loved the lake. This place was up for sale- the cabin, the barn and the acreage… including the boat, jet ski's and two of the horses. Everything, right in one place… So, John bought it. It was an engagement gift, because I didn't want a ring," she shrugged.

He met her eyes. "You don't like rings?" he asked, glancing at her fingers subconsciously. Her wedding band, engagement ring and ruby stood out against her skin.

Scarlett saw the move and felt his dejection. She tugged his tie once more, pulling him close enough to drop a quick kiss to his lips.

"I never wore rings before yours, farm boy..." she told him gently. "Yours are special..."

"Oh," was Spencer's quiet response.

"After John died, I found a realty agency that worked in the area to rent the cabin out. I use the money from those rentals to pay for the upkeep. Any profit gets directed into the foundation his parents started in John's name for the families of fallen officers. I also set aside a few weeks every year to offer those families a free vacation," she shrugged. "The place is beautiful, peaceful- I like to share that with them…"

"You love it here, but you haven't been here in almost three years?" he asked, his tone becoming slightly accusatory.

Scarlett narrowed her eyes at him. "It was sort of hard to come here, boy…" she frowned. "I was happier knowing that other people were able to enjoy it, since I wasn't in a place where I was able to…"

"But now you are okay?" he asked. Scarlett saw the concern in his eyes. He was worried for her...

"I'm better, sweetie. And we all deserve a nice quiet vacation. Since we were both ordered out on medical leave, why not spend it here?" Scarlett noted the way he looked around the room and sighed again. Sometimes dealing with his mind was a trial... Reid couldn't take the simple explanation for an answer, always needing to dig deeper...

"So, uh… John was wealthy?" Spencer asked, uncomfortable with the question, but wanting to know. The whole place showed a casual affluence.

He looked around the room once more, taking in the bookshelves filled with volumes of novels, a large screen television on one wall that wouldn't even fit in their apartment, and a stereo system that looked like it could work as a set up in a night club.

Scarlett cocked her head. "I wouldn't say that…"

She saw Spencer's gaze travel around the room once more and tried to see it through his eyes, instead of as something she was used to…

"Huh. I guess, maybe…" she admitted. "It's just… what was normal. I never thought about how it looked."

Scarlett gave a wistful smile at some memory that clouded her vision. Spencer tamped down the jealousy that poked at him, wanting to know some answers, to see some of her past she never talked about…

"John was a hard worker and then he made some smart investments when he was younger, so I guess it was he never made a big deal about it. He'd taken care of his parents, his friends… his first wife had died young and they hadn't had any kids- he didn't have anything else to spend it on, so he spread it around…" she mentioned.

Scarlett walked through the room, looking over some of the other pictures on the walls. "By the time I came into his life, I guess he was comfortable enough to do whatever he wanted with his money. I never thought to question his generosity…"

Reid considered her words for a moment, staring at the man in the picture. His mind became stuck on some of the comments she made, drawing up a picture of Carter he hadn't considered.

"... 'From when he was younger'...?" he looked over at Scarlett. "I- never realized he'd been married, um… before," he commented.

"It never came up," Scarlett gave a one shouldered shrug, dismissing his comment. "It wasn't important."

Nothing from her past ever seemed important enough for her to share with him... Spencer scowled, becoming more agitated with her 'go-to' deflection. And she hadn't responded to his first concern...

"Katy… how old was John?" he asked her directly, not willing to allow her to push off answering anymore of his questions...

She took the picture from him, replacing it on the mantle, a soft smile playing on her lips.

"He was fifty two when he was killed," she said quietly, taking a moment to look at the picture again before turning back to Spencer.

That response didn't sit well with him... He felt something twist in his gut and his heart between the knowledge and the look in her eyes.

She saw a strange look cross his face before he tried to school his features against it.

"What?" she asked him, legitimately confused by his reaction.

"I thought… he… uh… He and Morgan were close friends. Cooper too… I just- thought he was closer to their age… to our age," Reid stammered, unsure how to voice his concern.

"He met them through the job, and through me…" she stated. "They were all close."

She couldn't understand why he was becoming so distressed.

"Katy- John was twenty two years older than you?" Spencer asked again to get clarification.

"Umm, yeah, that sounds right," she said nonchalantly, moving toward the door, expecting Spencer to follow her.

"Come on, boy… I'll show you around the rest of the place," she smiled.

"Mama and Norie should be up later Friday afternoon, once Nors is out of school," she was telling him, completely oblivious to the inner turmoil that was now running through Spencer's mind.

"I can't wait to take Norie riding; she's going to love the horses… and if JJ and Will can make it up Saturday, I'm going to talk her into riding too…" she said with a grin, looking back over her shoulder towards him.

Scarlett stopped talking when she caught the look of shock on Reid's face.

"What? What's wrong, Spence? I can still take short rides, if that's what has you worried-" she started, her brows pinching in concern.

Spencer raised his in disbelief.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, all of the information he'd been given in past half hour now running circles in his head. He didn't think before he spoke…

"I-I'm not- it... it has nothing to do with you riding, Katy!" his voice pitched slightly with distress...

"You don't think it's odd that a man who was old enough to be your father was doing things like buying you million dollar homes? Seriously?! It never occurred to you- or anyone else- that you chose a man over double your age to have one of your first serious relationships with? Your mom, your sisters- your brother… none of them questioned it?" he asked, a part of him appalled by the thoughts in his head.

Scarlett stopped short. "What are you talking about?" she looked at him, legitimately dumbfounded. "So he was older than me… why is that a big deal?"

"Nobody else ever mentioned his age as an issue?" Spencer asked again.

"Not really," she stated. "Mama was a little nervous at first, thinking I was playing around with his feelings… but once she met John, she realized it wasn't a concern…"

Spencer bit his lips together in a thin line. "That _you_ were playing…?" he scrubbed his face, rolling his eyes behind his hand.

"Scarlett… I don't know if I'd consider it healthy for someone who'd suffered what you did throughout your childhood to have one of her first committed relationships with someone who probably should have been more of a father figure than husband and mate material…" he stopped short when he saw her eyes narrow at him.

Scarlett stared him down, crossing her arms over her chest. Spencer picked up the defensive move and swallowed hard.

"Reid… Are you _seriously_ psychoanalyzing a twenty-something version of me and my relationship with John?" she asked icily.

He opened his mouth to argue against her words but quickly closed them when he realized that was exactly what he'd been doing.

"I just… I didn't mean…" he stammered, blowing a tight breath and looking away from her.

"Or are you wondering about John's intentions? Because I'll tell you this Reid," she stepped up to him, poking him in the chest… he took a tentative step back...

"...sorry..." he mumbled, still avoiding her eyes.

"... _not_ that I should have to explain a relationship from my past to you… but _I_ was the one who sought him out. _I_ went after John, not the other way around…" she snapped at him.

"So you go right ahead, _Reid_ , and think that I've got all sorts of 'daddy issues', if that's what you need to do to feel better," she scowled at him. "But don't you _dare_ think John did anything wrong or that he was some sort of predator because I swear to god I'll tear your theory to shreds and you'll wish you never brought any of this up…" she ground out angrily.

Spencer maintained his submissive stance, a furious blush stealing over his face.

...but she could have played right into the hands of someone who was a preferential offender so very easily… his mind whispered to him. He swallowed hard at the lump in his throat...

"I'm sorry… Scarlett- I didn't mean… I really, just… I don't know why I let myself think that…" he stepped back from her glare. "I'm sorry," he said again, not sure what else to say…

" _Liar_ ," she called him.

"You're lying, Spencer Reid… I can see it all over your face. You are looking at me like I'm some sort of _victim_ …" she stalked towards him.

Spencer scowled, refusing to be backed up another step, becoming defensive now...

"Scarlett…" he looked down into her eyes, which at the moment were heated in anger. He tried his best to school his face against the thoughts that had entered his mind, trying to appease her…

She drilled her finger into his chest. "You don't get to judge my past Reid," she told him. "You weren't there… You don't know! And you didn't know John!"

She watched his eyes, still seeing the questions there. Huffing out a tense breath, she shook her head.

"You don't want to know, not really," she scoffed. "You can't handle it…"

Spencer raised his brows. "Can't handle what?" he asked incredulously.

"This isn't even about an age difference, is it Reid?" she asked, scanning his eyes. "This is about you being jealous…"

"Jealous?" he frowned darkly. "I'm not... You're just..." he sputtered...

She watched his eyes, seeing the tiniest spark there…

"Ohh, great. Wonderful. Maybe subconsciously, this is why I never mentioned the cabin to you… probably knew somewhere in the back of my head that this would happen," she muttered to herself, turning her back to him and pacing a bit.

"What are you talking about?" Reid asked in a tight voice.

Scarlett turned back around, chewing on the corner of her thumb, watching him, considering her next words thoughtfully. He was so insecure- and she didn't want to hurt him...

"I thought by now we'd be in a place in our relationship where our ghosts wouldn't haunt us, Spencer," she said quietly. "Maybe I was wrong…"

Spencer stood straighter, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm not seeing ghosts, Scarlett. I'm considering theories that you were never in a position to…"

He slammed his mouth shut tightly as he realized what he'd just admitted what was on his mind... he was picturing her as a victim...

"Uh huh. And there it is… You asked for it Reid," she sighed, closing her eyes.

Spencer watched her walk through the room, eyes still closed, reaching out to touch items that sat along the end tables, knowing exactly where each one sat and what it was from her mind's eye. She trailed her fingers over the back of a chair, sitting down in it heavily. When she opened her eyes, looking back over at him, they were distant and unfocused.

Spencer moved closer, placing himself between her and the door in case she was going into a flashback. She shook her head sadly.

"Ah, Spence," she smiled softly at him. "You really don't want to see it, do you?"

"These memories aren't sad or bad, farm boy. What I had with John wasn't something that was based on his picking me out because I was an easy target…" she saw him flinch a bit and knew she hit what was part of his assumptions…

"So, I guess I have to explain to you again, boy… Nobody takes advantage of me. Not any more, not in a very long time. I chose John. I went after him…"

She grinned in spite of herself as a memory surfaced. Shaking her head with a chuckle, she looked up at Spencer again. His heart ached at the love he could see in her eyes.

"I followed him around for almost four months until he finally agreed to take me out… It was another month before we started dating exclusively," she stated, her lips curved in a smile. "He had pretty much the same arguments you're probably thinking right now- I was too young, I didn't know what I wanted…"

"He was a great guy, Reid. You would have liked him. Everyone did. He had a heart as big as he was, and he would do anything for his family and friends… That's only one of the many reasons why I loved him so very much..."

Scarlett watched as Spencer rubbed at his heart after hearing her say those words. The pain that hit him was unexpected…

"I'm sorry if the truth hurts you, my sweet boy. But I won't have John's memory muddied with the theories your mind is entertaining. Not even for you…" she sighed.

Spencer saw the truth in her eyes and felt a twist in his chest. She still loved John; a part of her always would… he knew that. But he hadn't known how bad it would hurt him to see it face to face…

"I'm sorry…" he said. "I- uh… I need some space," he walked over to the door and left the cabin, heading around the deck to the lake.

Scarlett sighed heavily, leaning back in the chair and staring up at the skylights in the ceiling. She remembered lying in the middle of this very floor with John, staring up at them when they were filled with stars, talking about their future…

She felt tears pick at her eyes. Maybe coming up here was a mistake for both of them…


	31. Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Spencer stood out on the deck, leaning against the rails, watching the activity on the water. All around him, families played together, bonding with each other…

He sighed heavily, scrubbing at his face. Maybe Scarlett was right, he admitted to himself. This place was hers and John's- so in his mind it stood as a part of their future… something that was denied to them- and John's loss meant his gain…

That thought didn't sit well in his heart.

If John hadn't been killed, Scarlett would be with him, here, right now. The bedrooms would be filled with their children… the lake their playground.

He'd never have met her.

Where did he fit in here? Why would she trade this life for one at his side?

It didn't make sense.

He couldn't give her things like this… he couldn't take care of her or protect her the way John could have…

So why did he think he deserved to be beside her now just because the man was gone?

Spencer stiffened when he heard the doors open behind him. Music poured through the air…

He heard "Going Under" by Evanescence playing through the speakers.

 _Fitting_ … he thought to himself. He felt like he was drowning in his thoughts…

 _Now I will tell you what I've done for you -  
50 thousand tears I've cried.  
Screaming, deceiving and bleeding for you -  
And you still won't hear me (going under)  
Don't want your hand this time - I'll save myself.  
Maybe I'll wake up for once (wake up for once)  
Not tormented daily defeated by you  
Just when I thought I'd reached the bottom_

 _I'm dying again_

 _I'm going under (going under)_  
 _Drowning in you (drowning in you)_  
 _I'm falling forever (falling forever)_  
 _I've got to break through_  
 _I'm going under_

 _Blurring and stirring the truth and the lies._  
 _(So I don't know what's real)_  
 _So I don't know what's real and what's not (don't know what's real and what's not)_  
 _Always confusing the thoughts in my head_  
 _So I can't trust myself anymore_

 _I'm dying again_

 _I'm going under (going under)_  
 _Drowning in you (drowning in you)_  
 _I'm falling forever (falling forever)_  
 _I've got to break through_

 _I..._

 _So go on and scream_  
 _Scream at me I'm so far away (so far away)_  
 _I won't be broken again (again)_  
 _I've got to breathe - I can't keep going under_

 _I'm dying again_

 _I'm going under (going under)_  
 _Drowning in you (drowning in you)_  
 _I'm falling forever (falling forever)_  
 _I've got to break through_

 _I'm going under (going under)_  
 _I'm going under (drowning in you)_  
 _I'm going under_

"Do you want to talk?" he heard her ask softly from directly behind him. She didn't touch him…

He wanted her to reach for him. He wanted to know she why chose him- if she wanted to stay with him…

"No," he heard himself say, more harshly than he intended.

Scarlett lowered her hand that she'd lifted towards him, balling it at her side in a fist.

"Okay," she stepped back away from him. "I'm, um, going down to the barn… I want to check on the horses," she said, giving him space to sort out his feelings.

"Fine," he ground out through clenched teeth, his mind tormenting him.

Scarlett sighed. "Come find me when you are ready," she said. She saw Spencer nod as he continued to stare out over the lake.

Turning away, she headed out across the yard towards the barn.

Reid watched her go from the corner of his eye. When she was out of his sight, he lowered his head to his arms, leaning heavily on the railing.

Scarlett reached the cool interior of the horse barn and was immediately surrounded by the comforting smell of the animals. She breathed it in deeply, trying to relax her mind.

One of the closest horses nickered softly and reached over the stall door to nudge at her with his head.

"Hello, beautiful," she crooned. "I missed you too. I'm so sorry I stayed away so long…"

She headed over to a bin where the food was stored, taking out an apple from one of them. Pulling a knife from her pocket, she quartered it, handing out pieces to the four horses that lived in her barn. She petted each one, scratching favorite places that she remembered, talking to each one gently.

Scarlett grabbed up a bridle from the tack room and led one of the smaller horses out of his stall into the paddock.

"Come on, Dmitri… I want to ride," she rubbed her cheek against his, moved to his side and jumped up onto the horse bareback.

The animal sensed her directions and started to run through the field.

Reid stood at the edge of the walk way that separated the house from the barn. He saw Scarlett jump easily onto the back of the horse and take off like they were flying. He watched them move together as if they were one unit, each feeding off the others unspoken thoughts…

Scarlett let the horse lead, running at a full gallop through the fenced area, enjoying the feeling of the wind rushing over her ears. When the horse slowed to a trot, moving closer to the fence where Spencer now stood, she pulled back gently on the reins, bringing herself to his side.

"I can't ride," was all he said.

"I'll teach you- but not now. Not with your leg healing up still," she commented. "And I can't be up here very long either," she stated, letting him direct the conversation.

"Then we will have to come back," he said quietly, not meeting her eyes. "After the baby is born…"

Scarlett knew what he was trying to say. He was apologizing and offering to come back again…

She hoped that meant he was willing to see the cabin as theirs- something for their family, together.

"Okay…" she slid off the horse, leading him back towards the barn. Spencer walked alongside her, on his side of the fence. They remained silent, each lost in their own thoughts.

When they reached the barn, Scarlett turned to look up at him…

"Spence…"

"Katy…" he said at the same time. Their eyes met and held…

"Please, let me talk…" he asked her.

Scarlett nodded, listening as she rubbed the horse down, putting him back in his stall.

"I'm sorry. I can't think of anything else to say… Scarlett, I'm sorry I let my jealousy fuel my thoughts, and I'm sorry I upset you and I'm sorry I thought those things… I didn't mean to analyze you or John… not really. And I didn't mean to make you angry," he apologized.

"I just, I don't understand where I fit in here- in all this- but I know you love it here, so I'll try, I promise. I don't want you to give up doing stuff you love just because it's outside of my comfort zone…"

Spencer raised his hand to stroke a giant head of a horse that had started to nudge at him.

Scarlett watched him, seeing his discomfort and nervousness.

"Spence-" she started to comment on what he'd just said, but changed her mind…

"This is Zeus," she said instead, moving her hand over the horse, reaching for Reid's hand, tucking it into hers. "He likes having his forehead scratched, right here, under his mane…" she explained gently.

Spencer followed her direction, scratching the large animal.

"The hair is stiffer than I thought it would be," he observed, running his hand over the mane. "They are bigger than I imagined," he stated, looking at the horse's shoulder. "Taller…"

Scarlett watched him taking in the animals, moving through the barn to each, reading the names that hung over each stall.

She grinned when Zeus reached his long neck over the stall door and nibbled at Spencer's hair.

"He likes you," she told him. "He likes your scent," she explained. "Now he wants you as his," she chuckled as the horse rubbed his face on Spencer's head.

"Umm, good? I think?" he backed up a step, away from the teeth.

Scarlett headed back over to the bins, taking out four carrots. Handing one to Reid, she took another over to Dmitri and showed him how to hold it to offer it to Zeus.

He held the end to the animal, watching as it nipped off pieces of the treat until it got to the end. He placed it in the palm of his hand as Scarlett had done, keeping his fingers out of reach…

The horse blew out softly, his breath moving across his hand.

"I think I like horses," he admitted, lifting his arm slowly so as not to spook the big beast, Spencer started petting him once again.

Scarlett smiled as she watched him stroking the horse that was once John's pride and joy. Zeus watched Reid trustingly with ageless eyes, and she felt tears choking the back of her throat.

Moving behind Spencer, she wrapped her arms around him, resting her cheek against his back.

"I love you farm boy," she told him, her voice husky with emotion. She felt Spencer's hands move to cover hers and the tension left his back with her words.

"That makes me the luckiest man in the world," he said. "And that scares me…" he admitted.

"Why?" she asked. She felt him shrug under her cheek.

"Because, luck can change? Because I don't know what I ever did to deserve to be so lucky? Because I get scared, Scarlett, about so much… and I don't know how to fix that…"

Scarlett held him tighter. "You aren't broken, baby… you don't need to fix anything."

Spencer sighed, her words wrapping around him like a balm. He turned in her arms, pulling her against his chest.

She listened to his heart beating under her ear. "I love you, Katy. More than I can ever tell you, more than I can probably ever even show you, even if I spend the rest of my life trying…"

"Just don't ever stop trying, lover. That's all I'll ever ask," she said, turning her face up to his…

Spencer met her lips gently, moving his hands up to frame her face, holding her close as he kissed her.

"Never… I swear…" he promised. " _Pour tous les temps_ …"

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck, keeping him locked to her.

"For all time," she promised.


	32. Chapter 32

Chapter 32

"Come on, boy… What is the hold up? You said you liked to swim," Scarlett looked up at him from beneath the dock, having already jumped into the lake. She treaded the water easily, waiting for him to get in…

"I've never been swimming in a lake, Katy… It's a bit different than a swimming pool," his frown of worry marring his brows.

"Not really, Spence. You still just swim," she sighed as he tugged on the rubberized cover over his wound. The sleeve was supposed to protect it from getting wet…

 _If he'd ever actually get into the water_ , she thought.

"What if my leg gives out?" he asked.

"Then I'll drag you back to shore," she rolled her eyes. She saw him bite his bottom lip nervously.

"Fine, you stay up there then…" she told him, swimming out a little further, flipping backwards and going under.

Spencer watched her dive deeper under the water. When she resurfaced, she grinned up at him evilly. He stepped back as she threw something up on the dock beside him. Looking down at his feet, he saw it was her bathing suit.

"Scarlett!" he whipped a quick look around the area, making certain no one else was nearby…

"Reid!" she laughed up at his stricken look. "It's a private dock, sweetie. Nobody else is here, except for us," she reminded him.

"But _still_ …" he scowled down at her, pacing like a large cat in a cage…

Scarlett smiled when she saw the exact moment he made up his mind to join her cross his face. He grabbed her suit up off the dock in one hand, scrunching up his eyes comically as he held his nose like a little kid and jumped off the dock, feet first.

She laughed, swimming over to his side as he broke surface, spitting and sputtering. When he started splashing around in a doggie paddle, Scarlett wrapped herself around him, holding him up on the water.

"You said you could swim," she eyed him up, steadying him with her body.

"I am swimming," he cocked a brow at her, dropping the act. Pulling her across his chest, he straightened out, using his long arms to swim closer to the dock. "I just wanted to hold you close," he teased, handing her back her bathing suit.

"Mercy," he told her, begging her to put back on her clothes.

"Oh, poo…" she stuck her tongue out at him, but pulled the suit back on, covering her body.

"You are such a prude," she wrinkled her nose, teasing him.

Spencer moved closer, hiking her up against his hips and she wrapped her legs around him.

"Maybe I just don't want anyone else to see you naked," he admitted, rubbing against her intimately.

"Mmm, so that means you aren't against lake sex?" she gave him a throaty chuckle.

Spencer swam closer to the shore, under cover of the dock.

"Definitely not," he told her, adjusting his grip on her hips as she slid his shorts out of her way. The cool water was quickly replaced with her warmth and he shuddered involuntarily…

Scarlett wrapped her arms around his neck, using the weightlessness of the water to allow her to move against him freely…

"Water therapy," she giggled. "Since we've been limited to the weight you can put on your leg on dry land…"

"Ah, I see," he moaned when she ground herself against him. Treading the deeper water while she hung onto his neck was becoming a bit difficult.

"Missing wall sex, darling?" he asked, his voice becoming huskier as he kissed her...

Scarlett squeezed his hips between her legs, riding him. "Mmm-hmm, could be…" she answered against his mouth. Spencer felt the smile curve her lips with her words and he chuckled.

"Can't have that now..." he grinned back, pulling her hips higher.

She let go of his neck, floating on the water before him. "Although, I think lake sex has different benefits…" she told him. "Weightlessness is... interesting," her breath catching in her throat.

Spencer groaned, moving his hands over her body, under her suit, pulling her top to the side so he could see her breasts…

"Lake sex is better in that way," he agreed, nipping lightly over her chest with his teeth and lips.

Scarlett reached for his hair, dragging his mouth up to hers, sinking under the water with him.

Spencer pulled her back up with him, grabbing a breath of air. When she bucked against him, he went under again.

"Oops," Scarlett lowered her legs from his waist as he resurfaced.

Spencer gave up trying to swim and carried her into the shallower area.

"Come here," he settled her back over himself, keeping his feet where he could reach the bottom.

"Come now…" she corrected him, giving him an impish grin.

He laughed, moving against her, rocking her on his waist.

"As you wish," he teased, biting at her neck.

Scarlett held onto him tighter, angling her throat for more, feeling the slow roll start in her belly. His teeth nipped over her sensitive skin, pushing her to the edge...

"I love you, Spence," she whispered in his ear as she came.

He shuddered, following her orgasm with his own. Looking into her eyes, he kissed her slowly, brushing his cheek to hers…

"As I love you, crazy girl…" he caught her lips, stealing her breath away.

Scarlett pulled away from his arms, swimming backwards towards the open water once again.

"Come on, farm boy… keep up…" she called to him, challenging him to a race.

Spencer grinned, diving into the water, catching up to her with a few long strokes.

"You'll never out-reach me, little Katy-bird," he teased as he moved to her back and pulled her against him again.

Holding one of his arms to hers, he laughed at the comparison. Her fingertips reached just below his elbow, and when he lifted his legs under hers, her feet only touched to his calves. He floated on his back as she settled herself across him.

"I can always out distance you with length alone…" he teased.

"Hmm. You do have impressive length," she said with a purr in her throat, running her hand up his crotch. Spencer blushed a bright pink.

"You are incorrigible…" he kissed her nose.

"Insatiable," she corrected him with a chuckle. "But I think we better take a break for a while…" she said, leaning in to kiss him once more. "I don't want you to overdo the water therapy and start hurting."

Spencer gave her a cocky smirk. "I like water therapy…"

"Mmm… me too," she bit his lip lightly. "More later, though…" she slipped out of his arms, swimming back to the dock, reaching it before him. When he pulled himself out of the water, she was waiting at the top with his crutches. He sighed as he took them.

Scarlett grabbed the beach towels she'd left on the railing, heading back over to him and tossing one over his dripping head.

"At least you should be off of them by the time the baby comes. You only need six weeks, not like the months it took the last time you were shot in the thigh," she told him, looking over at the scar on his left leg. "You didn't have any bone damage this time…"

"There is that, at least…" he scowled down at his leg. He thought about what she said for a moment. "How did you know I damaged the bone back then?"

Scarlett raised a brow at him, moving in front of him and rubbing his shoulders and chest down with the towel.

"I was talking to Penny back then, when it happened," she informed him. "She told me you had been shot."

Spencer met her eyes. "You knew me then?" he asked. "It seems like forever ago," he frowned, trying to remember when it had happened.

"Hmm. I'd only met you just the once at that point. But I was worried about you," she sighed.

"I had actually considered going to DC to see Derek and Penny, but mostly to check on you," she admitted, giving him a sidelong glance.

He stopped scrubbing at his hair, watching her face. "Why didn't you?" he asked her softly.

She gave him a small smile. "Short answer? I chickened out," she shrugged. "Then you met Maeve… so I never came around. I didn't want to interfere in your life…"

Scarlett smiled at the shocked look on his face.

"I've told you before Reid… I've loved you since I met you. Why do you have such a problem believing that?" she asked.

He looked at his feet, scowling slightly.

"I wish you would have let me know…" he told her, looking up again to meet her eyes. "I could have loved you longer."

Scarlett gave him a wistful smile.

"It doesn't work that way, lover. It wasn't the right time for us. Would you give up your memories that you have of Maeve?" she asked, willing him to see…

His frown deepened.

"No…" he shook his head. "I couldn't…" he answered, understanding what she meant. If she'd come then, if he'd met her first- he may not have connected with Maeve the way he had…

Spencer sighed heavily, trying to express the feelings that had been disturbing his peace of mind all day…

"I was thinking before… about John," he said. "I was wondering about you, about this place," he huffed out a breath, looking over her shoulder. "If he hadn't died- how I wouldn't have you… and I feel like I'm a horrible person, because I benefited from his death… I'm happy… and I'm here with you, instead of him," he scowled, biting his lips together.

"That's why you are uncomfortable being here?" she asked. He shrugged again.

"I guess," he mumbled. "Partly…"

"And the other part?"

"You're right…" he groused, his face pinching in irritation with himself. "I'm seeing the ghosts, and I'm jealous…" he admitted.

"I'm looking around the rooms, thinking that you were here with him, and um… well, ' _with'_ him," his face scrunched up a little with his words.

"My mind isn't painting pretty pictures," he scowled.

"Oh, Spence…" Scarlett sighed heavily and stood closer to him, looking up into his face. "I've told you that your imagination is really too active for a prude…" she nudged him.

"I can't help it," he pouted.

"Hmm. Well, maybe it will help your hyperactive imagination to know then that I had the whole place redecorated when I decided to rent it out. The realtor suggested it needed updating, so I hired a designer to come out and replace everything, right down to the color on the walls. Hell, some of the floors have even been replaced," she said with half of a laugh. She caught his gaze roaming the area…

"There aren't as many of the 'ghosts' here like your imagination has you thinking, farm boy… Not even in the lake," she told him, waiting to see his reaction to that bit of news.

Spencer glanced down into her eyes, then out off the edge of the dock.

Disbelief clouded his eyes. "You expect me to believe that you never…?"

Scarlett shook her head. "Never, sweetie… um- let's just say I must be attracted to prudes…" she grinned. "Get the picture?"

"Katy…" he frowned down at her.

"Spencer…" she mimicked his look. "I'm telling you… you are my first in many more ways than you've thought…"

"But…" he shook his head, his brow furrowed…

"Really?" he said finally.

When she moved towards the doors, Reid followed her inside.

Scarlett turned back to look at him over her shoulder. "Absolutely, pretty boy… Your face fills my memories," she told him. "Not any ghost's…"

He stopped at the island in the center of the large kitchen, sliding into a stool to take the pressure off his leg.

She grabbed some bottles of water from the fridge, handed him one, and then boosted herself up onto the counter top to sit in front of him so they were eye to eye.

"You, my dear, sweet, insecure lover, are my only lake sex, my only wall sex… side of the road sex… behind the scenes video sex…"

Spencer's eyes widened and he felt his face start to heat.

"Ummm, let's see… what else?" she teased him. Tilting her head as she moved her legs carefully over his, she gave him a grin.

"Oh, yeah, my only counter top sex… My only 'ohmigod six times' sex," she laughed when he blushed harder.

"Okay, okay- I get the point… you can stop now," he begged.

"Mmm, two more…" she told him, setting her arms over his shoulders, running a finger along his jaw, placing a soft kiss to his mouth.

"My only husband," she reminded him, pulling back to look into his eyes. "The only father of my children," she reminded him. She saw his hazel eyes get misty before he quickly looked away.

"Mmm mmm…no… you look at me," she shook her head, taking his chin in her hand. He raised his eyes to meet hers as she requested.

"More importantly than any firsts, you are my _last_ , Spencer Reid…" she told him on a vow, watching the tears gather. He tried to blink them back, irritated at himself when he couldn't stop them from falling onto his cheeks.

Scarlett pressed her lips against each one, kissing them away, and then over his eyes when he closed them. She kissed the furrow between his brows, and then met his lips, holding his face in her hands, running her thumbs over his cheeks.

"I love you, my sweet boy," she breathed out the words against his mouth.

Spencer swallowed against the lump in his throat. He moaned, and felt her lips turn up in a smile as she swallowed the sound, covering his mouth under hers…

He tasted the saltiness of his own tears on her lips.

Spencer stood up, leaning over her, trapping her against the counter between his arms.

"I need you…" he breathed out heavily. "I want you, now…"

"Then take me, lover…"


	33. Chapter 33

Chapter 33

Spencer rocked the hammock lightly with his uninjured leg while Scarlett lay across his stomach. He ran his fingers gently through her curls, brushing them off of her face, watching her sleep.

He looked out over the lake again, wondering if the deck was private enough for hammock sex. His thoughts ran hot in his blood and Scarlett shifted slightly in his lap.

"You know, your wayward imagination is poking me…" she mumbled sleepily, stretching against his erection.

He groaned. "Sorry," he tried to move away from her a little bit.

"I'm not complaining…" Scarlett grinned, placing a kiss over his heart, resting her chin on his chest.

"What are you thinking about, prude?" she teased him.

Spencer only shrugged and started rocking the hammock again.

"Hmm. Hammock sex," she answered her own question and felt him grow harder.

"Sounds good to me," she agreed, moving over him.

"Uh, thinking about it and actually doing it are two different things," he said, looking around again.

"Why?" she asked, straddling his lap.

"Oh God," he groaned again. "Scarlett… there are people around…" he threw a look out over at the lake, which was now teeming with activity.

"So?" she grinned evilly.

"Ugh…" he set her back to his side, looking at her impish smile. "Mercy," he said.

"Fiiine," she huffed out, pretending to pout. Spencer pulled her forward to capture her bottom lip between his…

"Maybe after it gets dark…" he told her. She smiled hugely.

"How dark?" she asked, moving off of the hammock. She held out her hand to help him stand, passing him the crutches. "The sun will be setting soon," she wiggled her brows at him.

Spencer laughed. "Knock it off," he told her, watching her butt as she opened the doors.

"Never," she grinned.

"Are you hungry?" he asked as he moved through the kitchen, hoping to change the subject.

Scarlett moved one shoulder in a slight shrug, making his t-shirt she was wearing fall off her shoulder.

"I guess," she said, pulling one of the stools out from the island and climbing up onto it. He grabbed a bag of chips that he'd spotted earlier out of the cupboard.

Spencer watched as she started spinning the seat around. "You don't know if you are hungry?"

"No… not really…" she picked her feet up onto the seat, pushing it around again. The third time she circled; Spencer reached over and stopped her.

"You're making me dizzy," he teased her. He spun the chair around to face him and caught the look on her face.

"Hey, what's wrong crazy girl?" he asked, seeing sadness in her eyes.

"I don't know… I just feel like crying all of a sudden. Maybe I'm just still tired…" she told him, not even understanding where her feelings where coming from herself.

"Are you getting any pains?" he worried, thinking she'd over worked herself physically with everything they'd done today.

Scarlett shook her head. "No, not a twinge, I promise, darling…" she told him. "Just suddenly I feel blue, like something is wrong… and so weary."

Spencer scooped her up off the seat and cradled her against his chest.

"Reid, you are going to hurt your leg," she protested.

"I'm fine," he told her, carrying her through the room and down the hallway towards the master suite.

"What are you doing," she asked, looking up at him.

He gave her a crooked grin as he shoved the door open, taking her over to the bed and setting her down.

"I'm sleeping with my wife," he told her, stretching out across the bed beside her.

Scarlett looked down at his smile, then over at the windows. The sun was only just beginning to set behind the trees…

"It's not even dark," she wrinkled her nose at him.

Spencer shrugged. "So? That's why it's called vacation… you do what you want when you want…"

He tucked her in close to his side, kissing the side of her neck as she lay back against him. "And I want to sleep with you…" he told her.

"Besides, you wouldn't want me to feel guilty about waking you up before with my wayward thoughts… would you?"

Scarlett huffed and rolled her eyes at his words. She took his hand, pressing a kiss to his palm and rested it against her cheek.

Spencer curled his body around her, snuggling up to her and brushing her hair away from her face. He rested his free hand along her stomach, stroking the baby as she drifted off once again.

Waiting a little while to be certain he wouldn't disturb her, he raised himself up a bit to resume his earlier task of watching her. He studied her until his own eyes became heavy and he gave in to sleep.

Scarlett woke in the middle of the night, opening her eyes to the view of the moonlight on the water.

She turned slightly looking into Spencer's sleeping face. Scarlett slid out of the bed, heading to the kitchen to get a bottle of water. She made a side trip into the office, where she'd left her phone charging earlier, before heading back.

She picked up the cell to see that she'd missed two calls and several messages from Penelope.

' _Call me ASAP_ …' was the last text she'd sent.

Scarlett didn't like the shortened message. It wasn't like Penny…

She quickly hit the recall button.

"Katy? Thank God… we've been trying to reach you…" Penelope's voice rang out, concern evident in her tone. Scarlett could tell from the connection that she was in a car on the speaker phone.

"What's wrong?" Scarlett asked, her nerves ramping up a notch. "Where's Derek?"

"I'm right here, baby girl," his voice reached her ears and she sighed with relief. "We are okay, everyone is fine…" he soothed her.

"Then what's wrong? Penny has tears in her voice…" Scarlett insisted, knowing that something was wrong.

"Where's Reid?" he asked her.

"In the bedroom, asleep," she answered. "I'm in the den- I forgot I left my phone in here, that's why I didn't get your messages…"

"D., what's wrong?" she asked again. "Why didn't you call Spence if you were trying to reach us?"

"We didn't want to give Reid the news over the phone, sweetness. That's going to be your job…" he answered.

"What. News." Scarlett gripped the phone tighter.

"The team got the call a little while ago, we are heading to West Virginia…" he started to say…

"A case?" Scarlett asked. It would be something big, if they were being pulled off of vacation and medical leave… something bad…

She thought of her earlier crying jag and felt ice creep into her blood.

"Who?" she asked, the question freezing her heart in fear.

"Ah, sweet girl…" Morgan shook his head, looking over at Penelope, taking her hand in his. As always, Scarlett's mind had run ahead and she knew something had happened to one of theirs…

"Jason Gideon. They found him murdered in his cabin a few hours ago…" Morgan said, his own voice becoming thick with emotion. Garcia threaded her fingers into his and gave them a squeeze.

"Hotch and Rossi are already there, talking to the locals… we are about an hour away…"

Scarlett pulled a map up in her head. "What is the address that you are going to?" she asked.

Penelope rattled off the location for Gideon's cabin and Scarlett's mind planned out the quickest route…

"We'll be there right around day break…" she told them. "I'll see you both then…"

"Hey, baby girl," Derek caught her before she disconnected the call.

"What?"

"Watch him…" he warned her. "This isn't going to go over well…"

 _Just, don't ever leave me a goddamned note_ … Reid's voice echoed in her ears.

"No, it's not…" she agreed as she hung up.

Not by any stretch of the imagination… she knew his demons were already straining on their leashes…

Scarlett headed back into the bedroom, standing at the foot of the bed watching Spencer sleep peacefully for a few moments longer.

She sat down beside him, resting her hand along his hip.

"Hey, baby…" she said gently, patting him. Spencer turned in his sleep, reaching out for her. He scooted closer, laying his head onto her lap.

Scarlett ran her fingers through his hair, leaning over to kiss his temple. "Come on, sweet boy… wake up," she crooned softly.

Spencer opened his eyes slowly, looking up at her face. "What's wrong?" he asked, pulling himself up into a sitting position, scrubbing at his eyes roughly. "Are you okay? The baby? What do you…" he started speaking in hyper-drive. Scarlett pressed her lips across his to stop him.

"We are okay, boy. It's something else…" Scarlett held his hands tightly as she explained what little she knew about what had happened in West Virginia.


	34. Chapter 34

Chapter 34

 _The next few chapters are going to be based loosely around the Criminal Minds episode "Nelson's Sparrow". I will be focusing more towards Reid's reactions than on the case itself. Any use of actual storyline and dialogue is credited to the awesome CM writers and not me. As always, I love the writers and give them all my utmost respect. ~Becky_

Spencer pulled the rental car into the familiar driveway just as the sun was starting to come over the horizon. His leg was beginning to hurt from the bit of driving he'd insisted on doing himself, arguing with Scarlett that he'd be able to get to the old cabin quicker once they hit the mountains. He considered taking the prescription he'd been given, but only for about half a second. His mind was in overdrive, thinking of way too much at once- anything except the task at hand...

 _Gideon had been murdered_... icy fingers pricked the back of his neck as his mind shied away from that thought.

He looked out over the area, gripping the wheel tightly for a moment as a sense of déjà vu settled over him. He shivered against it, remembering the last time he had come here, he'd been worried about his friend and mentor… and how he had left feeling angry and betrayed… Bitterness burned the back of his throat. He welcomed it instead of the hurt.

Scarlett hesitated to reach over for his hand again, since he'd pulled away from her each time she had tried during the drive down. Instead, she closed her eyes and willed him extra strength that he would need to get through this day…

"Maybe they made a mistake… maybe it's not him," Spencer said aloud, the first time he'd spoken about the murder since getting the news. But Scarlett knew he wasn't even talking to her, he was talking to himself.

"Maybe," she offered quietly, breaking into his thoughts.

Spencer shook his head. "You don't believe that," he said, looking towards her.

Scarlett felt her breath catch in her throat at the emptiness in his eyes.

"No," she answered truthfully.

Spencer got out of the car, pulling his crutches from the backseat before he moved around to the passenger's door, opening it for Scarlett. She looked up under her lashes to his face, seeing a look of grim determination set there.

Reid headed up to the cabin, his feet feeling like they were lead.

Scarlett followed well behind him to give him space. Instead of heading right inside, she stopped to speak with a few of the local officers who were discussing what had happened, listening to the details of what they'd found on their arrival.

She had just entered the cabin when Spencer turned on his heel and pushed past her with a stricken look on his face…

The team had all assembled together in the living space and she could see where Gideon's body was covered, lying on the floor.

Penelope caught her gaze with tears filling her eyes.

Backing away, Scarlett followed Spencer. He was her priority at the moment, not the case.

She caught up with him in the driveway where he stood pacing at the Coroner's van…

"Boy!" she called out to him, stopping him short. She never called him by endearments while on a scene... he turned and stared at her briefly before shifting his eyes away from hers...

"Where are you going?" she huffed out a breath, not liking the way he wouldn't hold her gaze.

"I'm going to follow them… I'm going to the M.E.'s office… see if they can find anything out."

She watched him for another moment. "Okay… I'll go with you…"

"No," he responded. "I'll take Morgan. You stay here with the team- help them find out why this happened," he told her, finally looking into her eyes.

"You'll see things they'll miss because you'll be able to maintain neutrality, since you aren't emotionally involved…" he stated flatly.

Scarlett widened her eyes at that.

 _Well, ouch_ …

"The hell I'm not…" she countered.

"You didn't know him… Gideon-" Spencer's voice faltered a little bit- it pained him to say his name out loud. He took a steadying breath...

"Gideon will have left clues to what he was doing, thinking... You'll be able to pick up on something one of us might overlook," he scowled slightly. "You're the only one who could…"

"Please…" he asked.

That one word request squeezed her heart. He wanted to find out who murdered his friend…

"Okay…" she nodded. "I'll send Derek out…"

Scarlett re-entered the cabin, scanning the interior for her brother. She found Morgan leaning against the far wall, watching as they loaded the body onto a litter for transport. Penelope had her face buried against his chest, unable to look any longer.

He looked up as Scarlett approached.

"Where's Reid?" he asked, worried about his friend.

"He wants to follow the coroner back to town, get a firsthand response…" she told her brother.

"You aren't going with him?" Morgan's eyes widened in surprise.

"I was- but he asked me to stay, to go over the cabin…he asked for you to go with him…"

Derek gave Penelope a gentle hug. "I'll go…" he told Scarlett.

"D…" Scarlett stepped closer to his side as he moved towards the door. "Keep an eye on him, please? For me? He hasn't even so much as shed a tear since getting the news…" she worried, looking up to meet Morgan's eyes.

"You know I will, baby girl…" he kissed her forehead. "You stay with Penelope. Help her focus..."

Scarlett nodded as they traded places. She gave him a hug. "I love you, Derek," she reminded him.

"Ah, I know little one, I know... back at'cha," Morgan sighed, holding his sister for just a second longer before releasing her and walking out the door.

Scarlett crossed the room to Garcia's side.

"Come on, sweets. We've got work to do…" she told her gently. Penelope wiped at her face, nodding.

"Hotch wants me to look into Gideon's bank accounts, see if that tells us anything about where he's been, what he's been doing…" Garcia stammered slightly. "I feel skeezy looking into his life…" she added as she headed over to Jason's laptop.

JJ nodded from where she sat at a desk going through piles of paperwork. "We all do- but we need to know…" she reminded Penny softly. This wasn't easy on any of them.

Scarlett sighed heavily. "I'll take his bedroom…" she offered. Penelope wrinkled her nose.

"Ugh… okay you win… That's worse than bank accounts, papers or emails..." she stated, booting up the computer.

Scarlett heard tires move down the driveway and looked out to see Morgan following the coroner's van in the SUV with Reid in the passenger's seat. Turning away, she headed into the small bedroom to begin her search.

Later, after the coroner had completed the rough evaluation of Gideon's body, Morgan listened to the information that the medical examiner offered about the nature of his injuries.

Spencer had remained unmoved during the entire process.

"Did he suffer?" Derek asked quietly, throwing a look towards Reid.

"No," the woman responded. "His brain shut down before he processed his last breath."

Morgan turned to Spencer, watching the distant look in his eyes.

"Can we have a moment?" Derek asked the ME. She looked up at Spencer also, and nodded in understanding. It was pretty clear the younger man was in some sort of shock. She left the room, closing the door behind her.

"Reid," Morgan turned to his friend, clasping a hand on his shoulder...

Spencer flinched slightly under his touch, but looked up to meet his eyes.

"Did you hear anything that was just said?" Morgan asked, watching his face. "He didn't suffer…"

Tears welled in Spencer's eyes and he fought against them, wiping at his face angrily when one traveled down his cheek. He sucked in a breath and schooled his features into a tight mask before meeting Morgan's gaze again.

Derek squeezed his shoulder. "Hey, listen to me… Listen to me," he ordered, trying to catch Reid's eyes.

"Kid, don't do this. You have a habit of building up some pretty tough walls… shutting us out…"

Spencer frowned, looking away from him but Derek only moved back into his line of sight.

"Right… see? You can't do that. Not right now. We need your help. We need you…" he said, noticing Spencer shift uneasily on his feet.

"The team needs you, Scarlett needs you…"

Morgan was looking back at Gideon's body and didn't notice the scowl that ran across Reid's face at his words.

 _Scarlett doesn't need you. She's never needed you. She'd be better off without you_ … Spencer's mind whispered darkly in his ear.

"Gideon needs you," Derek continued, unaware of the internal battle that was waging in his friend's mind.

"So I'm going to step outside that door," Morgan told him, meeting his eyes again. "And when you are ready, we are going to go get the son of a bitch who did this. Understood?" Morgan pulled him into a one armed hug, holding him tight.

Reid nodded, as a few more tears ran over his face. Derek pat him on the back before heading out the door.

Once he was alone, Spencer sniffled, wiping at his tears roughly, annoyed with himself for crying like a child instead of using the anger to fuel him as Derek had…

He scowled at Gideon's body for a few more moments, listening to the demons that whispered in his ear.

Spencer let the anger and resentment that he'd never resolved bubble to the surface.

"You never even looked back," he ground out roughly. "You told me you cared, you told me you'd always be there for me… and you walked away and didn't even look back…"

He glared at the mirror that hung over on the far wall and caught his reflection. A young boy's hurting gaze stared back at him.

Spencer closed his eyes, schooling his features into a hardened mask.

"Never again…" he swore, glowering at his own face.

Reid left the room without a second glance. He found Morgan waiting over by a window.

"Let's go," he said to his brother.

Morgan didn't like the look that Reid now carried in his eyes any more than the one he'd gone in with... He sighed heavily, scrubbing at his face. This was going to get worse before it would get better.

Scarlett walked around the living space of the cabin, reading through one of Gideon's recent journals, hoping to find any information about who may have had reason to come after him. So far, nothing was standing out.

"Gideon did a lot of travelling recently," she stated, biting on the side of her thumb as she read some more.

Penelope nodded. "It looks like he took a nice slow ride down the coast, stopping every three hundred miles or so… but then booked it back up from Jacksonville. Get this… except for one night that he stayed over in Roanoke, instead of coming home," Garcia looked up at JJ and Scarlett in confusion.

"Roanoke is less than an hour away, why wouldn't he come home?" JJ asked.

Scarlett looked up from the journal to see Reid standing in the door.

"Spence," she called his name softly. His eyes met hers.

"I just don't understand any of it anymore; I guess I'm just looking for it again… For the belief I had, back in college… the belief I had when I first met Sarah; and it all seemed so right…"

Scarlett considered his words. "That's the letter," she frowned slightly, knowing he'd repeated it to her before. "The one Gideon left for you…"

He saw her eyes go unfocused for a moment as she pulled up the memory. They had sat up all night talking after an argument, and he'd told her about how Gideon had left him with only a note…

Her eyes cleared and locked onto his. "Who is Sarah?" she asked.

"Gideon's first love," Garcia supplied.

"I was thinking, what if that's why Gideon rushed back and stayed over in Roanoke? What if he'd found someone who'd finally made him happy again?" he asked, watching Scarlett's face. Without waiting for a response, he turned and left. Scarlett pressed her lips together, worry for him clearly reflected in her eyes.

Garcia reached over and patted her arm.

Rossi watched as Spencer passed them, walking back outside. He looked over to Morgan.

"How's the kid?"

"Not great," Derek stated. "But he'll get his head back in the game."

Morgan looked around the room, staring at the pictures on the walls. "Rossi, this is crazy," he shook his head. He stared out the open door, watching Reid pace across the driveway.

In a few moments, Scarlett came through, stopping at the porch long enough to grab Reid's crutches and headed into the driveway with him.

Rossi raised a brow as watched Reid stop in his tracks as Scarlett shoved the crutches at him.

"I think Red will pull him back. She won't give him any other option…"


	35. Chapter 35

Chapter 35

"You are limping," Scarlett told Spencer as she handed him the crutches. "You are hurting..." she told him, not meaning his leg.

Spencer's brows furrowed for a brief moment. He took the crutches from her.

Scarlett stood before him, waiting for him to say something, wishing he would say _anything_ , just to talk to her…

He saw the hurt in her eyes.

"Katy…" he took a step towards her, reaching for her…

She felt his fingers just touch her hand when Rossi came out of the cabin.

"I need to check on something," Dave said as he passed them. "Come on, you're with me," he told Reid.

"Right, uh, yeah- okay…" Spencer looked over his shoulder at Dave and then back at Scarlett.

"I gotta go…" he said quietly.

"I know," Scarlett nodded, pressing three fingers into his palm before stepping back. She felt him squeeze her hand tightly before dropping the contact.

She turned back towards the cabin, starting to walk away.

Spencer watched her for a moment longer, waiting… but she didn't look back. He turned away, following Rossi.

Scarlett stopped as she reached the porch, turning around to look at him once more. Spencer didn't notice as he climbed into the passenger's seat.

They drove in silence through the wooded roads of West Virginia. Spencer stared out the window for a while before he turned to Dave.

"I just always thought I'd see him again," he told Rossi.

Dave looked over at Spencer, meeting his eyes briefly. "I know."

"I'd really like to play one more game of chess with him…"

Rossi remained silent, allowing Reid to vent some of his feelings.

"I know I'm not being very rational," Spencer said, looking down at his hands. "And I know I haven't seen him in a really long time…"

Reid licked his lips, swallowing against the lump in his throat. "But I think about him all the time- and I knew he was always out there… and now," he scowled, fighting against the tears he heard in his voice.

"Now, it just feels… empty," Spencer said, biting his lips together. "I never even introduced him to Scarlett… I never told him about Norie…" he huffed out a breath.

"I never even told him I was going to have a son," Spencer said quietly.

Rossi felt Reid's grief. He tried to think of something to say to help…

"Yeah. But time will pass, and you'll forget how much it hurts. Then there will be something that will fill the empty space…"

Spencer looked over at Rossi, his face indignant.

"I don't want to fill the empty space," he scowled. "I don't want something else…" he started to say more then stopped short.

 _I don't want something else that can hurt me_ … he thought. _I can't let it. Never again_ … he reminded himself.

Spencer changed the subject.

"Where are we heading?" he asked.

"Back to where it all began… We're going to the original offices of the BAU," Dave smiled a bit, understanding that Reid wanted to talk about something else.

"We were called the Behavioral Science Unit- the B.S. Unit, some called us… We still have some original records in one of the bomb shelters turned offices. I think we may even have some dehydrated food still down there, if you're hungry," he grinned.

Spencer listened as Rossi explained what he and Morgan had found in the cabin.

Once they reached the offices, they began searching records for clues.

"Here it is…" Dave pulled out one of the first case files that he had worked. Spencer read through the records within seconds, catching up to speed on the case.

"You never caught him?" he asked Rossi.

"There was never a fourth body."

"So he wasn't obsessed with the seasonal killing," Reid stated. "Maybe your search forced him into hiding."

"He was too fixated to stop cold turkey… we thought maybe he got locked up or moved away," Rossi shrugged.

"You never saw the signature again?"

"No. But I believe Jason saw something, something that made him drive all the way back to Roanoke," Rossi pulled out his phone.

"Go ahead, Dave…" Hotch answered.

"Hotch, I think this is it, but I've got to fill every one else in," Rossi said as he explained to the team what he'd shown to Reid.

"If the unsub was never locked up, why would he go after Gideon?" Scarlett asked.

"I think Gideon may have found something that made him look back into this case," Dave told her.

"Garcia, back in the late seventies, the unsub targeted twenty something brunettes," Reid's voice came over the speaker. "Where there any female bodies found in the Roanoke area that fit that description in the last couple of days?" he asked.

Penelope started typing. "Let me check the crystal web ball…"

Scarlett saw a news article flash onto the screen.

"Uh, yes- an unidentified woman in her fifties turned up in a shallow grave near Salem just outside of Roanoke County…" she told them.

"Was she strangled?" Dave asked.

"There was no sign of foul play…" Penny stated.

"Was there a dead bird in her hand?" Spencer asked.

"What? Ugh, no… not that kind of fowl play either," she answered.

"What's the significance of the bird?" Hotch asked.

"Those little brown birds were the unsub's obsession," Rossi answered.

"So, Gideon sees the article in the newspaper, and it piqued his interest…" JJ said.

"Well, why wouldn't it?" Scarlett said. "It has mine… what are the odds that the same ritual in the same woods making headlines again?"

"And if this woman was the same one he'd taken all those years ago? He'd held on to her for thirty seven years?" Garcia asked.

"Guys, what if that's why he stopped killing? What if this victim met the unsub's needs and that's why he held on to her?" Spencer asked.

Scarlett leaned forward on the desk. "Then he's going hunting again… and he will kill again until he finds another perfect match…"

"We will meet you both in Roanoke, Dave," Hotch said as he disconnected the call.

Scarlett looked over at Penelope. JJ rested her hand on Scarlett's shoulder. "I'll stay here with Garcia," she said. "You go to Roanoke with Spence…"

Scarlett gave JJ a quick hug. "Thanks. Take care of each other," she said, and reached over to hug Penny.

"We will little one," Garcia leaned into the hug. "You take care of our boys…"

Scarlett followed the others out to the SUV to make the trek down to Roanoke.

Penelope conference them all together into a call.

"The sheriff's department just sent me the crime scene photos…" she told them.

"Gideon arrived too late to have seen the body- that must have been why he stayed overnight," Hotch said.

"He didn't see these photos, but he had a hell of a hunch," JJ said.

"Which is why he wouldn't have gone to the sheriff without more evidence," Scarlett stated.

Dave thought about that. "Wait a minute. Check in Gideon's wallet. He carried pictures in there…"

JJ pulled open the wallet. "There are a lot of them…"

"This would have been an older one, like a yearbook picture…"

"Tara Burnett, Roanoke High class of seventy-six," JJ responded.

"That's it. She was one of the last to go missing, right before the unsub went under. We spoke to her mother…" Rossi told them. "Garcia, I need to know if her mother is still alive, and an address."

"Done and done," Penny answered. "Address sent to your GPS.

"Okay, Dave, check out that lead… see if Gideon spoke with the mother… Morgan, go talk to the ME and see if you get any answers from him about that woman, see if it could be Tara, and Ryan and I will check out the scene where he'd left the body. Garcia, book us rooms here for tonight and you and JJ start heading back…We'll all meet at the hotel tonight and discuss what we've found…"

Later that evening, the team spoke over a late dinner while they discussed the case. They had a strong lead, and would follow it first thing in the morning.

Scarlett went with Reid to the second floor room that they were sharing. He was leaning rather heavily on the crutches as he pushed open the door.

She noticed and stepped up behind him, resting her hands on his back.

"Sit down, boy, please. Let me check your leg…"

When Spencer avoided her touch by stepping forward, Scarlett dropped them quickly.

"Sorry…" she said softly, dropping her hands away from him. He'd started pulling away from any touch, liked he used to do when she'd first met him.

"It's fine… it's nothing, Katy. I'm just tired," he looked into her eyes; saw that she looked worried and slightly pale.

"You have to be tired, too…" he said gently.

"Come here, crazy girl," Spencer sat down on the bed, reaching for her hand and pulling her towards him.

Scarlett watched his eyes warily, holding back, afraid to touch him.

"Please…" he asked. "Just, uh…" Spencer shifted his gaze away from hers.

"Just, for now… while I can, just let me hold you, Katy. Please…"

Scarlett felt her heart trip in her chest at his wording. "While you can?" she asked in concern.

She moved to stand between his legs, lifting his chin and looking down into his eyes, seeing his fear there...

"I'm not going anywhere, sweet boy," she promised, trailing her fingertips from the corners of his eyes and over his cheeks.

"I will always be right here…" she lowered her lips to his forehead, kissing his brow.

"I swear…"

Spencer leaned into her touch, taking the comfort she was offering. He held her tighter, drawing her down onto the bed with him.

With a tenderness borne from his own fear of losing her, he made love to her, pouring all of his heart into the connection.

Spencer held her close afterwards, watching her once she drifted off to sleep. He studied her face, memorizing as much as he could in the time he had…

"Forgive me," he whispered, brushing his hand over their baby. He shuddered as he heard his own voice echo in his ears.

 _They'll only leave you… She'll be better off without you. Leave first_ …

He moved quietly through the room, grabbing his go bag from the floor, and refused to look back.

Scarlett woke the next morning with the dawn's earliest rays… She sat up in the bed and looked around the room, noticing the emptiness immediately.

Sighing softly, she curled her legs up to her chest and cried.


	36. Chapter 36

Chapter 36

"What do you mean, 'He left?'…" Derek snapped at her. "We are on a case- he can't just leave… we need him here… He didn't say where he was going? He didn't even leave a note?"

Scarlett raised her brows at her brother. "Spence would _never_ leave me a note, Derek," she told him emphatically.

"Besides, we've got the lead, D- we are on the unsub's tail… he's not getting away this time. Spencer knew that…"

"He's got his own demons to chase right now… Leave him be…"

She'd felt this coming.

Derek looked at her incredulously. His gaze shifted from her eyes to her pregnant belly then back.

"You are joking, right? Tell me you are joking- you can't possibly be _okay_ with him taking off on you… like his fath-"

"Derek!" Scarlett's eyes glittered angrily. "I. Said. Drop. It."

Morgan stared at her for a moment longer, holding her gaze. When she only shook her head, he rolled his eyes and stomped off.

Penelope stayed at her side. "Do you want me to-" she let the sentence hang.

"No," Scarlett told her friend, knowing Penny could track every move Reid made. "Spencer needs to do this…"

She saw the tears moving into Penelope's eyes. "He will be okay, sweet girl…" Scarlett assured her.

"How can you know?" Garcia asked.

Scarlett reached up to her throat, wrapping her fingers around the locket that held Spencer's picture and a piece of his hair.

"Faith is all I have right now," she said.

"That's not true, Katy bird. You have us. Reid has us too, all of us…" Penny threw a look out to the foyer where Morgan was pacing while talking on his phone. "Even if some of us are more pissed off than others…" she wrinkled her nose a little.

Scarlett sighed again. "Ugh. Sometimes that man is just the biggest pain in my ass…" she stated, starting over towards Derek.

"Mine too, but we love him, so don't hurt him…" Penny squeaked, seeing the look of irritation in Scarlett's face. "Please? For me?"

"Morgan!" Scarlett shouted at her brother across the lobby. "Is that Reid? I told you to leave him alone!"

Derek continued talking, leaving a message on the line.

"…And if you think for even one minute…" Morgan's voice trembled angrily…

Hearing the hurt in his voice, Scarlett changed her tactic. Reid had left them all, and that hurt the others too…

"D. Give me the phone…" she said in a softer tone and held out her hand.

Morgan's eyes met hers. He stopped talking, frowned at her but handed over the phone.

Scarlett let out a breath, raising it to her ear.

"They'll leave you alone, boy. I'll make sure you have the time you need to hunt your demons. But when that's done- you _remember_ \- that we are all here, waiting for you, because that is what _family_ does…"

Scarlett swallowed against the lump that moved into her throat.

"Watch the video," she whispered. "I'll be right here…" Scarlett ended the call, handing the phone back to Derek.

"Now. Leave him be…" she ordered.

Spencer turned his phone back on after leaving the airport. He'd just slid into the driver's seat of the rental car when it signaled a message.

He wrinkled his nose. _So someone finally cared that you left_ … his mind whispered to him. _There would have been a ton of messages, if they really cared…_

Reid ignored the message. He turned on the car's GPS and punched in the address to his mother's hospital.

She was the only one who never turned her back on him. When she was able to be there for him, anyway…

 _You took care of her. She needed you… she never took care of you, either. Nobody ever took care of you. You can only count on yourself… letting anyone get close only means they can hurt you…_

 _You're better off with being empty…_

Spencer listened to the voice that whispered in his ear, feeling that emptiness fill him. He scowled, wiping at a tear that brushed across his cheek.

 _It doesn't help to care… Nobody else cares, so why should I?_ he reminded himself. _They didn't even care enough to check on where the hell I was…_ he scowled at his phone.

Punching at the touch screen he pulled up the missed call, seeing it was from Derek.

Scarlett never even called.

She didn't need him. She didn't care.

She was probably already pissed that he'd left like that- and when he didn't come back, she'd write him off, continuing on with her own life.

She'd be better off. Norie'd be better off. Their son would be better off…

They didn't need him fucking up their lives…

This time he'd be the one to walk away…

He opened the voice mail, wanting to hear what Morgan had to say.

' _Reid. Where the fuck are you? What the hell are you thinking, kid? I warned you not to do this to us, that we needed you- and you just take off? You left Scarlett? What the fuck? I don't think you understand that I now have a brother's obligation to kick your fucking ass… And if you think for even one minute…_ '

' _Morgan! Is that Reid? I told you to leave him alone!'_ Spencer heard Scarlett's voice cut off Derek's from out of the background.

She told them to leave him alone? Why? He didn't want to be alone... not really. He wanted to know that they cared… he needed someone to fucking _care_ , for once in his life...

Fear iced into his blood. Maybe Scarlett was already cutting him out… after all, he left her… she didn't deserve that… she'd have every right to cut him out…

' _D. Give me the phone…_ ' Spencer heard her say in a gentler tone. Her voice came onto the line more fully and he heard her let out a soft breath.

' _They'll leave you alone, boy. I'll make sure you have the time you need to hunt your demons. But when that's done- you remember- that we are all here, waiting for you, because that is what family does…'_ he heard her voice catch for a moment before she continued. _'Watch the video,'_ her voice came to his ear on a whisper. _'I'll be right here…'_

Spencer heard the call disconnect and scowled at the screen.

 _Watch the video? What video?_ he thought back... The one…? No. Why would she want him to watch that? To remind him of how it was? How things could never be? He was only fooling himself to think that they were forever… Promises never lasted. Everyone leaves…

 _Everything ends. Then you are left with the empty again_ … his inner demon taunted him.

Reid scowled at the phone a minute longer, and decided to open the tab for his saved videos.

The one he remembered was saved first. He also saw another. Thirty seconds…

 _What was that?_ he scowled darkly. The image was only black.

He hit the arrow to play the feed.

Scarlett's face came into view. She was lying alongside him.

It was from that same night that she'd recorded the first video… at the college dorm… was that really only a little over a week ago?

Scarlett's face looked up to him from the screen.

' _I don't know when you'll find this… or what will be going through your mind when you do, my sweet boy… but something is telling me to leave you this, and I always go with my gut…'_

Her voice was just above a whisper, so he turned up the volume a bit.

' _I love you, Spencer Reid. I've loved you over lifetimes that I can't even remember. Nothing touches that, and nothing will ever change it. And I will love you for forever more…'_

Spencer felt his chest tighten as he watched a tear roll down her cheek.

' _Pour tous les temps… For all time, my sweet farm boy… I promise.'_

Spencer watched his own image gather her closer, tucking his face into her neck.

' _Pour tous les temps, Katy… I love you, crazy girl…'_

He tried to remember this moment, but nothing came to his mind. He must have been talking in his sleep… he saw Scarlett look into the camera and blow a kiss towards him, now, as he watched her.

' _As I love you, farm boy…'_ she said to him.

The screen faded to black as the video shut down. Spencer rubbed the heal of his palm over his heart, trying to stop the ache there.

What the hell was he doing here? What had driven him to run across country, away from her, away from everything he loved?

He scowled as his eyes caught sight of the GPS. He didn't come to Vegas to see his mother.

Angrily, he punched in another address, one he'd never thought he'd ever visit. The GPS highlighted the route.

Spencer felt a burn in his gut as he pulled out of the parking lot, heading towards his father's home, as the radio played "Down" by Jason Walker.

 _I don't know where I'm at  
_ _I'm standing at the back  
_ _And I'm tired of waiting  
_ _Waiting here in line, hoping that I'll find what I've been chasing._

 _I shot for the sky  
_ _I'm stuck on the ground  
_ _So why do I try, I know I'm gonna fall down  
_ _I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?  
_ _Never know why it's coming down, down, down._

 _Not ready to let go  
_ _Cause then I'd never know  
_ _What I could be missing  
_ _But I'm missing way too much  
_ _So when do I give up what I've been wishing for._

 _I shot for the sky  
_ _I'm stuck on the ground  
_ _So why do I try, I know I'm gonna fall down  
_ _I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?  
_ _Never know why it's coming down, down, down.  
_ _Oh I am going down, down, down  
_ _I can't find another way around  
_ _And I don't want to hear the sound, of losing what I never found._

 _I shot for the sky  
_ _I'm stuck on the ground  
_ _Why do I try, I know I'm gonna fall down  
_ _I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?  
_ _I'll never know why it's coming down, down, down._

 _I shot for the sky  
_ _I'm stuck on the ground  
_ _Why do I try, I know I'm gonna fall down  
_ _I thought I could fly, so why did I drown?  
_ _Oh, it's coming down, down, down..._

Less than an hour later, Spencer sat in the rental car, staring at the front door, screwing up his courage to get out and head up the walkway.

Why bother? What would this confrontation resolve? his inner voice tried to talk him out of doing this…

He bit his lips together tightly.

 _Because if I don't, it will never be finished. It'll hang over my head, touching everything I've worked for_ … he answered his own question in his mind.

He gathered his resolve and pushed himself out of the car. When he was about halfway up the walk, the front door opened. His father stood in the entrance way, looking at him.

"Hello, Spencer…"

"Hello, _Dad_ …" Reid bit out the title with a bit of venom. The older man smiled sadly, stepping back just a bit.

"Would you like to come in?" William Reid asked.

Spencer looked surprised. "No," he shook his head. "I don't- I don't have that kind of time," he stated flatly. "I've got to get back to my family…"

William looked at him quizzically.

"Alright," the elder Reid nodded. "Then, do you want to tell me what this is about?"

Reid felt his hands twitch nervously at his sides. He shoved them into his pockets, wrapping his fingers around the watch that Scarlett had given him. He felt her love surround him and used that strength to meet his father's eyes.

"I lost someone yesterday. Someone, uh- someone I was very close to, who I thought of as a father…" he started.

"I see. I'm sorry for your loss…"

Spencer saw the truth in his eyes.

"I didn't get to tell him a lot of things that I had wanted to… because I was angry with him. I wasted time, and now I'll never get it back…" Spencer blew out a tense breath.

"So… I wanted to see you. I wanted to tell you- I'm married now… um, to Scarlett, you met her once, if you remember?" he saw William nod slightly.

"We have a daughter we are raising… we adopted Scarlett's half-sister…Norie's thirteen, now…" Reid pushed out the information in a rush, unable to stop the nervous tension that flooded his system.

"I'm going to be a father again…" he blurted out. "Next month… a son."

"We are having a son…" he repeated.

William nodded. "Your mother told me. I saw some pictures of your wedding. Congratulations," he stated. "You're a lucky man, Spencer…"

Spencer stopped, eyeing up his father. "Why?"

"Why did she tell me?" William asked confused.

"No… Why am I lucky? What did I do to deserve that?" he asked, a sadness hinting in his tone.

"Why did you leave me? Why did you just turn away- How could you just turn away like that? I came here, just to ask you- and leaving them behind like that- It's killing me!" his voice rose slightly, starting to break under the emotional stress.

"I don't even want to stay here another second longer because I want to get back to them so badly! What kind of a person walks away from his family without a backward glance? Who can do that?" he snapped.

Spencer swallowed the lump in his throat, taking a deep breath, reining his emotions back in place.

"Sorry," he muttered, running his hands through his hair. "I shouldn't have come…" he started to turn away.

"Spencer…" his father's voice made his stop.

"I don't have those answers. I can't explain my decisions or justify them to you. I can only tell you that I did what I felt I had to back then… right or wrong, it's what I did."

"I can't change it. I can't- and I don't know if I should… I see you standing here now, the man you have become… and I think, maybe, you are who you are because I stayed out of your life… I didn't screw you up…"

Spencer barked out a sharp laugh.

"You didn't?!" he said sarcastically.

Will nodded. "You are going back…" he pointed out. "You'll stay; make it work, with your family…"

Reid thought about that for a moment. Had he planned on this subconsciously, all along? He couldn't imagine leaving Scarlett, his family… no. He couldn't.

And Scarlett knew. She'd seen it before he had. She told him to fight his demons.

And then come back to them.

Somewhere along the line, maybe because he was afraid of becoming like his father- he'd been mentally sabotaging himself, telling himself that he couldn't do it, that he wasn't going to be a good enough father to his son…

Because he'd been afraid of his own relationship with William. Because he didn't know what a father was supposed to do…

"I don't know how this is supposed to work," Spencer eyed up his father. "I don't know what I'm doing…"

William took a few steps closer, reaching out a hand to rest on his shoulder. Spencer was surprised when he didn't feel the desire to pull away. He kept his gaze leveled with his father's.

"You are going home. You are going to make it work, mistakes and all, and you'll do fine."

He offered a hand to Spencer, waiting to see if his son would take it.

Reid hesitated a moment. He took his father's hand and gripped it tightly.

"I would appreciate it if you would include me in your life," William stated quietly. "But I will understand if you don't. I know I don't deserve it… I won't push my way in…"

Spencer held his gaze. "I- uh, I'd like that, I think…" he surprised himself by saying the words. "I'll be in touch…" he backed away, slowly.

William Reid watched as his son headed back towards the car at the curb. He was just stepping back to his door when he heard Spencer call back to him.

"Do you play chess?" he asked.

William looked at him quizzically.

"Who do you think taught you?"

Spencer thought for a moment. "I don't remember," he admitted. "I'd like to play again, sometime…"

William smiled. "You know where I live. Bring your family by…"

Spencer felt a weight lift off of his heart. He smiled, genuinely.

"I will... uh, I- I mean, I think I'd like that…"

"So would I," the older Reid raised his hand, waving goodbye.

Spencer got into the car and pulled away, heading back to the airport. He hoped like hell that there was a return flight back tonight.


	37. Chapter 37

Chapter 37

 _The poem listed later in this chapter that Spencer recites (I am Loved) is an original poem I wrote several years ago … ~Becky_

* * *

Scarlett saw Penelope waiting at the bottom of the vestibule in her apartment building. She pulled up the corner of the dress she was wearing, careful not to trip over it as she headed down the staircase.

"You know, little one, that is supposed to be calf-length, not ankle length," Garcia teased.

"Well, it works well this way, too," Scarlett grinned. "Thanks for letting me borrow the clothes, girl," she said as she reached her side, leaning over to kiss her cheek. "Nothing appropriate fit me anymore…"

"No problem, sweetie. It looks good on you…" Penny adjusted some of the black laces at the back of the dress.

Scarlett eyed up Morgan as he stood beside his SUV, holding the doors open for them as they headed to Gideon's funeral. Now that the case was closed and the unsub was dead… they could finally lay Jason to rest.

"You okay, D.?" she asked him, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek. Derek scowled a little.

"I'd be better if you told me you'd heard something from Reid," he watched her eyes.

"Not yet," she shrugged.

"Have you even tried calling him?" he asked.

"No. And you won't either. He'll be back... when he's ready…"

Morgan rolled his eyes, letting the subject drop. He'd thought for sure wherever his brother in law had run off to; he would have come back for the funeral…

They hadn't heard a word from Reid in over forty-eight hours. Morgan had gone against Scarlett's edict yesterday and texted him the details for the funeral. But he hadn't received a response…

He pulled the SUV away from the curb, heading back up to West Virginia to say their final farewells to their colleague and friend.

Scarlett found her way to the back of the room at funeral home, taking a seat on one of the antique chairs after giving her condolences to Gideon's son and family. Her ankles were starting to swell, and she wanted to get off of them before it got worse, so she'd left the rest of the team gathered in the front, glad to see that the funeral home had this smaller area set up for a bit of privacy.

Watching the others talk and share their memories of Gideon reminded her how important being together with family at times like this. Spencer needed to feel that too…

Sighing, she reached up and touched her locket, wondering where Reid was, hoping he'd find his way home soon.

The thought just cleared her mind when she saw him walk in the front doors. Her heart fluttered in her chest as she watched him.

Spencer entered the funeral home, heading straight to the coffin. He stood beside it for a few minutes, laying his hand over the wooden shell. He turned away and met the questioning looks from his friends.

Scarlett watched his face, seeing his lips moving in a silent conversation when he shook Stephen Gideon's hands. The younger man pulled him into a hug, and Spencer held him tightly for another moment.

He hung his head as he reached the team, and was quickly greeted with Penelope's hug and then JJ's.

Rossi and Hotch both exchanged handshakes with him then he turned to face Morgan. Reid's hesitation was evidence of his nerves and was telegraphed in the submissive way he held himself before Derek.

She saw her brother scowl at Reid's offered hand, pushing it out of the way.

Scarlett sighed when instead of the handshake, Morgan grabbed Spencer into a bear hug, holding him close for a few moments. Spencer stepped back and Derek's lips moved quickly while he held Reid's chin to keep his attention. Morgan finished his diatribe, tapped his brother's cheek lightly and waited for a response. Reid nodded, wiping away a tear that moved its way down his face and Scarlett knew her brother had made his point clear...

You don't run away from your family. You run _to_ them...

After a few more seconds, Spencer looked around the room, his eyes searching, finally meeting hers…

Spencer felt his heart leap against his ribs as he caught sight of her green gaze. He started moving across the floor, the room beginning to blur as tears filled his eyes.

Scarlett watched him come towards her, keeping her eyes locked on his when he stopped before the row of chairs where she was seated.

Her eyes rounded and her face held a startled look of shock when instead of simply taking the seat beside her, he dropped to his knees, laid his head on her lap and began sobbing.

 _Ah, God_ … she leaned over his shoulders, sheltering him.

Scarlett saw Rossi take notice and move towards them. She nodded when Dave looked from her eyes to the door that separated the rooms. He quietly slid the door closed on the private area, giving Reid some space to grieve.

"Shh…" Scarlett crooned, rocking him gently as his heart broke. "It will be alright, baby… I promise," she told him, kissing his hair.

The tears and emotions wracked through his body as he shook against her. She simply held him while he emptied out his sorrow.

Spencer shuddered, holding her closer while he tried to pull himself back together. He heard the door open and close again, keeping his eyes tightly shut.

Penelope's arms moved around him as she sat alongside him on the floor. He leaned against her, accepting her support.

Derek sat beside Scarlett, wrapping an arm around his sister, nudging her head to his shoulder as tears ran down her face. He placed his other hand on Reid's back, patting his brother, offering comfort.

JJ entered next, stooping down beside Spencer for a second, kissing his hair and sitting on Scarlett's other side.

When Rossi and Hotch came in a few minutes later, Dave noted that Reid looked a little calmer, although his face was still red from crying.

Spencer looked up at his supervisors from his spot on the floor, leaning into Scarlett's legs a little, embarrassed by his overly emotional display.

"I'm sorry," he spoke softly, feeling his cheeks flaming. He closed his eyes, willing himself to regain control.

"I owe you all an apology… I should never have left like that, especially not during a case. I have no excuses for my actions…"

Hotch interrupted him, holding his gaze.

"Reid. Considering that you had a close personal relationship with Gideon, I think we can take your emotional involvement into consideration in this situation," he looked over at Dave's nod.

"The only thing I'll add is that if you need time off in the future, you must notify one of us that you are leaving. I don't expect you'll just drop everything and take off like this ever again… Understood?" Aaron finished.

"Yes, sir," Spencer closed his eyes tightly, knowing that Hotch could have easily suspended him for his insubordination. "Thank you…" he said.

"It's time to go to the cemetery," Derek spoke gently. "Are you ready to go, kid?"

Spencer gripped Scarlett's hand, looking up into her face. She saw the strain reach his eyes. She leaned forward a bit, whispering in his ear.

"I'm right here, boy…"

He shuddered again.

"I'm ready…" he said to the others.

The team headed outside to the line of dark SUV's that followed the family car and hearse in the procession. Spencer helped Scarlett inside the back seat as Morgan drove. Penelope turned from the passenger's seat to look back at them.

Reid met her questioning glance. "Are you alright now, pretty boy?" she asked, compassion showing on her features.

"This has to be hardest on you, next to Stephen. Gideon was like a father to you…" she stated, tears standing in her eyes.

"Yeah, he was," Spencer agreed, his voice full of emotion. "But because of that, I get to hold onto some really great memories…"

He looked over to Scarlett. "I'm learning that you don't trade those memories for anything. Not even if it means you can avoid the pain…"

Holding Scarlett's hand, he lifted it to his lips, kissing her fingers reverently as he spoke the next words, reciting a poem.

' _I'll take the pain, at any cost. I'll keep the love, though it be lost…'_

' _I love more deeply than I'd ever known I could- to that point where your heart wrenches and bleeds from the pain of it- and all simply because I have allowed it.'_

' _And I have no regret of that- I'd take the pain, the love, the loss- even a hundred times over, because I am better for it…'_

' _Because to close off your heart, to deny yourself, just to save the pain… it isn't really living… And what a waste!'_

' _For every tear that has ever slipped down my cheek, at least I've known- I have Loved!'_

Penny dabbed a tissue under her eyes. "That was beautiful, Reid. Who wrote it?" she asked, waiting to hear the name of the poet.

"Katy wrote it. It was in the journal she gave me at Christmas…" he explained softly, keeping his eyes locked on Scarlett's.

"Oh. My…" Penny sniffled.

Scarlett reached up and touched his cheek.

"Hello, boy…" she whispered. "Welcome back…"

"Hello, girl…" he pressed a kiss to the scars over the palm of her hand. "Can you ever forgive me for leaving?" he asked her when he whispered back.

"You didn't leave," she told him. "You just got a little lost for a minute there…"

Scarlett leaned over and caught his lips in a kiss.

"You found me…" he touched her face, tracing his thumb over her cheekbone.

"Hmm. You found yourself, farm boy. I couldn't go where you were. They weren't my demons to fight…"

"You helped silenced them, then," he kept her eyes locked with his. "I got your message… I watched the video…" he told her.

Scarlett nodded. "Glad it helped," she gave him a slight knowing smile.

"So, how is your dad, then?" she asked, settling back against the seat.

He gave her a sideways glance. "Uh, okay- I kind of made tentative plans to go out and see him, after the baby comes… You, me, Norie… If that's alright?"

She caught his gaze. "If that's what you want, darling, you know it is fine with me."

Spencer twisted the rings on her fingers. "How did you know that's where I was going? I didn't even know until I got there. I was going to go and see my mom…"

Scarlett sighed. "Sweetie, I heard your demons whispering to you for weeks now. It was only a matter of time before you had to face them…"

When she looked up at him, a wrinkle marring the bridge of her nose, Spencer wasn't sure if she was teasing or if she had actually heard something... He could never really tell, with her…

He licked his lips nervously, his eyes questioning hers but the bright green orbs revealed nothing...

"You are a mystery, Katy Scarlett… an enigma, wrapped in a question and tied off with a pretty bow…" he shook his head.

"It's a good thing that you like puzzles then, farm boy," she grinned. "Because it's going to take you the rest of your life to figure me out, Reid…"

Spencer lowered his lips to cover hers, accepting the challenge gladly…


	38. Chapter 38

Chapter 38

Scarlett watched from the deck where she was manning the grill, looking down towards the dock at Morgan and Reid as they grappled at the edge, trying to toss each other into the lake… A slight frown marred her brow when she noticed Spencer favoring his leg.

"Boys! Behave yourselves! Derek, you mind your brother's leg! Scarlett doesn't need him to still be on crutches once the baby comes! If you do anything to make it worse again, I swear I'll pitch you into the lake myself…" Frannie's voice hollered down at them from the porch.

"Thanks, Mama," Scarlett grinned. "I was just getting ready to yell at them…"

She heard them laugh as they both barreled off the edge. Scarlett sighed heavily.

Norie squealed, running off the dock, jumping over their heads and landing in the water a few feet away from them. She surfaced, turned and doggie paddled over to Reid's side.

"Did you see that Daddy?" she splashed like a maniac to keep herself afloat. "I cleared you…"

"I saw," Spencer laughed, pulling her into his arms, holding her up so she didn't have to struggle quite so hard. "Remember what Mom told you about fighting with the water, though baby? You don't have to push quite so hard. Relax…"

Norie listened, replaying the conversation Scarlett had with her while teaching her how to swim. Spencer saw her eyes go unfocused for a moment, then clear.

"Oh, okay… right…" Norie pulled out of his arms, swimming neatly towards the shore as if she'd been swimming her whole life. Reid shook his head in amazement.

Scarlett looked over as the patio doors opened and JJ came out carrying the baby in one arm, a bowl of potato salad in the other.

"I thought you were putting Michael down for a nap?" Scarlett asked, taking the bowl from her hand.

"He had other ideas…" JJ grinned as Scarlett cooed over the baby. "I guess he doesn't want to miss anything."

"Can't say that I blame him," Penelope said, scooping up Michael from JJ's arms. "It's too beautiful of a day to miss a moment of it…"

Spencer moved up behind Scarlett, looking down on the grill. He stole a piece of zucchini right off the griddle, tossing it from hand to hand until it cooled off.

"It's a gorgeous day," he agreed, leaning over to kiss her nose. His hair dripped water all over her.

Scarlett laughed and grabbed a towel from the railing, tossing it over his head. He pulled off the towel, shaking his head, his longer hair splattering everyone within distance of the droplets.

"Geesh Spence…" JJ ducked away from him. "Watch where you shake!" she laughed.

"Sorry," he apologized with a grin, popping the vegetable into his mouth. "What do you need me to do?" he asked Scarlett, seeing his mother in law bringing out some more bowls of food.

"You can throw on some shoes and head down to the barn and tell the others that dinner is ready…" she told him. "Will and Hotch took the boys down to see the horses…"

"Dave is down there too," Frannie said. "I think I heard him telling Diana that he could teach her to ride…"

Spencer's eyes widened at that information.

"This I have to see…" he turned, heading back down the stairs that led to the path to the barn.

Scarlett noticed he didn't take his crutches again and rolled her eyes. "Reid…!" she hollered after him.

"I don't need them!" he yelled back.

Frannie nudged Scarlett away from the grill. "Go…" she told her daughter. "Smack him once for me…" she teased.

Scarlett ran down the stairs, grabbing the crutches along the way and caught up with Spencer. Fran watched as he maneuvered them under his arms, just before Scarlett climbed up on his back, hanging onto his neck.

Now she rolled her eyes. "I'm sure that helps, so very much!" she yelled at the both of them.

Reid waved one of the crutches sideways in an awkward salute and Frannie laughed.

Scarlett leaned forward over Spencer's shoulder, nibbling lightly at his ear. She heard him chuckle and pressed her cheek against his.

"Are you having fun?" she asked. It had been his idea to have everyone out to the lake house over the weekend. He wanted his family together…

"Mmm-hmm," he responded, turning his head to capture her lips in a quick kiss. "And I can't say that I'd ever thought I'd live to see my mom, riding on a horse," he stated, letting Scarlett slide to the ground as they came up on the field.

"But look at that," he grinned hugely.

Diana sat behind Henry holding onto the boy as Rossi led one of the mares around in a circle. Beside them, Will stood watch. Hotch rode with Jack on a taller black gelding, keeping within reaching distance of the other horse also. Aaron was talking to Diana…

Spencer heard her laughing all the way from the path.

"I'm so glad your mom decided to come," Scarlett agreed.

"Yeah, me too. She was pissed off that I didn't stay longer than the one night when I was stuck in Vegas- but it was all the time that I had before I was able to get the return flight…" he said with a shrug.

"Then when she found out I hadn't let anyone know where I was going, she was even more pissed that I came at all," he gave Scarlett a slight smile. "She threatened to kick my ass all the way back to the east coast…"

"I'm just glad you got the flight back before the funeral…" Scarlett stated.

"It was close … two extra connections with another layover," he scowled a little at that memory. "It was hard to be patient," he admitted. "I was tempted to call you…"

Scarlett leaned onto the fence, watching her extended family ride the horses.

"I know, boy."

"I just didn't know what I wanted to say… You knew I was coming back. What more could I say over the phone? Sorry wouldn't begin to cover it…"

He reached over, taking her hand and threading his fingers through hers. Lifting it to his lips, he kissed her knuckles.

"Hmm, well, at least you had time to pick up a nice suit along the way," she grinned. "And you learned a valuable lesson…"

"Never leave you again?"

"Never fly without Penelope Garcia's assistance," she teased. "She could have gotten you into a straight flight. And you didn't leave…" she insisted.

"Stop apologizing, Reid -or you'll begin to piss me off…" she wrinkled her nose at him.

"Ah, yeah, well- I'd gotten myself into the mess, I thought I'd better get myself out of it… so I didn't want to call Pens either…"

Reid watched the horses move in the circle, loving how they looked.

"I want to learn to ride," he told her.

"How about after dinner?" Scarlett asked.

"I thought you said not until after my leg completely healed?" he mentioned.

"I don't think a short ride will hurt you too much. We'll ride double so I'll control the horse, then you don't have to use your thigh so much… Once you are totally healed, you can learn to ride yourself…"

Spencer eyes her skeptically. "Why the sudden change of heart?" he asked.

"Mmm… maybe I'm thinking of horseback sex…" she tried to pull off her most innocent expression. She giggled as his face turned bright red.

" _Scarlett_! For God's sake, my mother is right there!" he whispered, his voice squeaking with embarrassment.

"Oh for the love of toads, Spence, I didn't mean to bring her along," Scarlett rolled her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him. She slid through the rails of the fence, leaving him behind…

"Killing me… you are killing me dead, Scarlett Reid!" he hollered after her. He watched as she turned, looking at him as she continued walking backward towards the others.

"Not yet, Spencer Reid…" she grinned, crooking her finger at him. "Come along, boy…" she winked. "We'll play later…"

Reid set the crutches beside the fence and followed after her. He caught up to her with a few long strides.

"Besides," Scarlett continued her teasing when she heard him reach her shoulder, "I'm guessing your mom has figured out that we have sex…" she looked up at him then patted her belly. "At least once that I can prove…"

Spencer shook his head and cleared his throat, scrunching his face up dramatically.

"Ugh! Katy. Please. Don't ever mention my mother and sex in the same sentence again. I am begging you…"

Scarlett laughed, taking his hand in hers. "Okay farm boy, I'll stop teasing you…" she chuckled throatily. "Prude…"

"You weren't calling me a prude last night when we christened the hammock," he snarked, lowering his voice so no one would overhear his comment. He leaned down over her shoulder and nuzzled her ear.

"Hmm, so you're saying I have to wait until we have the place to ourselves again until we can try horseback sex?" she asked with a glint in her eye.

"Uh, yeah, maybe…" he mumbled as they got closer to the others. He shot her a look that pleaded with her to drop the subject.

"Okay then, that's not an outright 'no' so I'll take it," she patted his cheek and grinned. "You are off the hook for now," she laughed as they closed the distance and reached everyone.

"Hey, all- dinner is on if anyone is hungry!" Scarlett told them, looking up at Henry and Diana. Rossi smiled at her.

"Auntie Scarlett- I'm on a horse! See!" he waved his hands around. "Daddy took a lot of pictures too- I want a horse for my birthday!"

"Well, now… you look like you were born to ride, tiger," Scarlett chuckled. She caught Diana's eyes and smiled. "And you look pretty comfortable yourself, Mom…"

Diana looked down at Scarlett. "I wouldn't say comfortable," she grinned, stretching her back. "But I enjoyed myself…" she agreed.

"I think I am about done in, though," she admitted. "What do you say, little man- how about we go get dinner?" Diana released the boy's waist, allowing Will to take Henry from her lap.

Scarlett looked over as Jack moved up beside her after dismounting. "Thank you for letting us ride your horses, Aunt Scarlett," he said.

"Any time pumpkin," she wrapped her arm around the boy and gave him a one-armed hug. "I mean it…" she said, looking over at Hotch.

"Even if we can't all get away together if any of you want to use the cabin, it's yours…"

Hotch nodded, resting his hand on his son's shoulder. "It's appreciated," he said looking around the area. "It's a beautiful place…"

"Let's go grab some food," Rossi grinned. "Before Morgan gets to it first…"

"Race ya back!" Jack called to Henry as the boys darted off towards the path.

Spencer went back to grab his crutches. He watched from behind as the boys played together. He saw Scarlett take his mother's arm, walking back with her. Rossi, Will, and Hotch followed them, talking and laughing.

He rubbed at his chest, the ache in his heart full and overflowing.

"Come on, farm boy…" Scarlett called back over her shoulder to him. She caught the look on his face and smiled softly.

"Don't make your family wait!"


	39. Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Scarlett sat back in the chair, watching everyone as they talked, joked and finished eating the meal. She committed every second of the moment into her memory, a soft smile playing at the corners of her lips.

She was so glad that they had all come up to the lake for the end of the summer. Being surrounded by her family today meant everything to her…

Spencer leaned over next to her, setting his hand on her knee.

"It is definitely one worth keeping," he said quietly, seeing the way her eyes had turned slightly unfocused. He studied the room, trying to lock it into his mind also.

"One of the best," Scarlett agreed with a sigh, laying her head on his shoulder. "This whole weekend has been amazing…"

The baby kicked, bumping in between them.

"Oh, that was a good one," Scarlett breathed out with a slight wince.

"He's getting crowded in there…" JJ mentioned, noticing the look on Scarlett's face. She saw the movement under Scarlett's shirt. "You're coming up on the home stretch…"

"Stretching is the problem, I think," Scarlett smiled, rubbing her stomach. "Baby boy has his daddy's long legs…" she grinned up at Reid.

"We really need to figure out a name for him," Spencer told her, shaking his head. "Before we end up having to call the poor kid 'baby boy' or 'beastie' for the rest of his life," he smiled. Laying his hand over hers, he laced his fingers through Scarlett's, feeling the baby kick again.

"Does it hurt?" he asked gently.

"No, sweetie. I'm fine…" she assured him. "One day I'll think back to this, just to remember what it felt like," she smiled, squeezing his fingers.

She stood up, starting to clear the table.

Spencer moved with her into the kitchen. He handed her a towel. "I'll wash, you dry," he gave her an impish grin.

"I'll put away," Frannie joined them. "Many hands make light work…"

JJ carried in a platter. "I think we made way too much," she stated as she looked back over her shoulder. Will carried in two bowls of leftovers…

"So, that just means nobody will need to cook lunch tomorrow," Scarlett reminded her. "It'll be a grab and go day…"

She looked up at Hotch and Rossi as they carried in more food. JJ started wrapping items to store in the fridge.

"Are you guys sure you can't stay tonight?" Scarlett asked them. "We can make room… It's not a problem."

"I can double up with Norie and Frannie," Diana offered as she walked in, overhearing the conversation.

"The den has a pull out couch, too," Scarlett stated.

Hotch shook his head. "Jack has a game tomorrow… Actually, we are going to have to leave pretty soon..." he stated, looking down at his watch.

Rossi nodded. "And I'm assistant coach…" he grinned.

JJ looked up at Will. "Do you want to share a couch with me and Henry tonight?" she asked.

Will shrugged. "We have the portacrib for Michael… We can make it work if you want to stay…"

"I can take the couch," Diana insisted. "I saw the bookshelves in the den- I have to admit, I wanted to go in there and look them over," she told them. "So that will give me the perfect excuse," she smiled. "You can have my guest room… and it has two beds, so Henry can have his own…"

Norie picked up her ears at the mention of the library. "Can I stay with you tonight, Grammy? Would you read to me?"

Spencer saw his mother's eyes mist up slightly. "Of course you can, baby. Nothing could make me happier…" Diana rested her arm over Norie's shoulders, hugging her close.

He felt his own eyes start to fill slightly and looked away. Scarlett bumped into his hip with hers, looking up into his eyes.

' _I love you'_ , she mouthed the words to him. Spencer reached down and kissed her brow.

' _As I love you_ ,' he mimed back.

Frannie smiled. "Well, that settles the sleeping arrangements, then. Who wants coffee?" she asked as she grabbed the pot, herding everyone back in around the table once again.

Penelope caught Norie's eyes.

"Hey, little one- didn't you have something you wanted to give your mom and dad for your baby brother? Maybe you'd want to show it before Uncle Dave and Uncle Hotch have to leave…"

"Oh! Yes… I almost forgot!" Norie scooted around her cousins. "I'll be right back…"

Scarlett looked from Penny to Fran. "Norie didn't have to get anything," she said.

"She didn't," Frannie stated proudly. "She made it. With a little help from me and Aunt Penelope, that is," she grinned.

Norie came back in with a large flat box, setting it in an area of the table that they cleared.

"I made it!" she told Scarlett triumphantly. "I didn't think I could get it all done in time, at first… but I did it!"

Scarlett lifted the lid of the box, sliding it closer. Spencer pulled back the tissue paper that covered the gift…

"Oh… baby girl… It is beautiful!" Scarlett felt tears pricking at her eyes. "You made this?!" she exclaimed.

Reid helped her lift the quilt out of the box so everyone could see it. The white, yellow and green squares were neatly stitched into little individual puffs, making the entire quilt look like a cloud. In the center, a cross-stitched picture stood out of a brown boat filled with different animals. Around the picture, circled in embroidery were words that read "Noah's Ark"…

"I did! Mama taught me how to do the quilting, and Auntie P taught me how to do the cross stitching and embroidery…" she nodded, looking up between Scarlett and Spencer. "I wanted to make something special for the baby…"

"Oh. My," Scarlett breathed out again, touching the quilt lovingly. Folding it carefully, she set it back in the box. "Norie- I'm so… just…"

She pulled Noreen into her arms, hugging her close. "There are no words, baby girl. I love it…"

Spencer looked down at the quilt again. His eyes froze as he saw something in it and he nudged Scarlett.

She looked up at his face, seeing that certain look in his eyes as if he'd just figured something out.

"What, boy?" she asked, confused.

Spencer shook his head, just touching her cheek with a finger to draw her eyes back to the baby's blanket.

"Look…" was all he said.

"Oh." Scarlett breathed.

"Ohhhh…" she smiled, looking back up at his face. He saw her gaze go unfocused as she looked into what she could imagine for the future.

"Yes? Well. Yes… it's perfect…" she murmured.

Spencer watched her eyes, keeping them locked with his…

Norie watched her parents having a silent mental conversation. She rolled her eyes. "I hate it when they do this…" she huffed.

Dave laughed. "I can hear the low whine from their combined IQ's all the way over here…"

"What?!" Norie asked them, nudging them, exasperated.

Scarlett let her eyes break away from his, lifting the box a little so everyone could see what Reid had noticed.

When she'd folded the blanket back into the box, only the top half of the embroidered words showed…

Sitting that way, the quilt now simply read, 'Noah's'.

She looked around the table, meeting her family's eyes.

"Noah Reid…" Scarlett glanced back up at Spencer. "It's just perfect…"

Spencer nodded, resting his hand on Norie's shoulder. "You named your baby brother," he told her.

Norie's smile broadened as she placed a hand on Scarlett's belly.

"Hello Noah," she said softly. "I love you…"

Rossi stood up, lifting his mug.

"To Noah Reid, then. May he be as brilliant as his father, as beautiful as his mother… and always know the love for him that fills this room…"

"Here, here," Penelope lifted her cup with the others.

Scarlett leaned into Reid's chest, overwhelmed with the feelings of love that surrounded her.

Spencer wrapped her into his arms, hugging her close.

"He'll always know," he assured her, kissing her hair.


	40. Chapter 40

Chapter 40

 _Reader's note:_

 _Everyone who has been reading the Scarlett series knows I am very adamant about giving correct credit to the Criminal Minds episodes, the CM writers or to the Songwriters and Artists if I use their work. I will_ _never_ _take credit for something that isn't mine. I include the proper credit specifically in hopes perhaps it will bring more fans to their door…_

 _I am very passionate in my words, so I understand the emotional attachments others have to theirs, and can't begin tell you how much I despise plagiarism…_

 _That being said, the next chapter will incorporate a video in a way I have never done before, simply because it had touched me that deeply._

 _In the following pages you'll read about a video clip "Spencer" makes of "Scarlett". I took it directly from a YouTube video made by Matthew Gray Gubler (Gublernation) of Soko (SokotheCat) where she records her original song "I've been Alone too Long"._

 _It is completely and totally theirs, right down to the words Matthew says in the beginning of the recording._

 _Again, I have never done this before and I hope he/she doesn't mind that I have used it, but it made me see "Scarlett" as her pain from her past abuse is written all over it. It sounds like the song was written for her. And I love the video version even more than the recorded one I bought on iTunes because of the raw emotions in it._

 _If you all take the time to watch the video (and want to 'see' Scarlett as I do sometimes) be sure to know that I take no credit for this video or song, that I adore Matthew and Soko… and that I hope if nothing else this blurb will boost some sales of her songs, (see it as free advertisement) as she is an incredibly deep and talented singer/songwriter._

 _All my love, Brightest Blessings…_

 _~Becky LadyBJKD on Twitter_

 _(I have included this information, because if for any reason either of these artists or any mentioned before are offended by my using their work, they can feel free to contact me and I will remove it immediately, I promise.)_

* * *

Sitting out on the back deck, watching the activity in the lake below, Spencer rocked the hammock again, holding Scarlett against his chest. He looked down into her face, noticing she was watching the sun beginning to set over the mountains.

"When do we light the bonfire?" he asked her.

"Hmm? Not until after dark, farm boy… when the sun sets, it will begin the rites of Mabon…" she answered dreamily.

"And you are okay?" he said quietly, closer to her ear so the others on the porch wouldn't overhear.

Scarlett smiled softly up at him. She knew he was worried about her this week, concerned with the fact that it was the third anniversary of John's death and the date that she was supposed to marry him.

"I appreciate the concern sweetie, but I have nothing but happy memories," she told him. "This Mabon is a celebration of life, the balance of the light to the darkness. It's about renewal, blessings and family…" she smiled, snuggling closer to him. "Can't you feel the love?"

Spencer kissed her hair, brushing it from her face, looking into her green gaze. He glanced around the porch, seeing everyone gathered together.

"Yeah…" he admitted. "I feel it…" he said as he kissed her again.

"Mmm. Best feeling in the world…" she sighed. "And tonight, when we light the home fires, I'm going to offer up my prayers, thanking every God I've ever heard of for all of this," she waved her hand around a little, incorporating everyone in her movement. "Every single moment. Then, I'll ask for the blessings to continue and dance until I drop…" she grinned.

"Not sky-clad…" Spencer reminded her.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "No, boy… I promised to behave myself in front of everyone…" she teased. "Although Penny offered to accompany me… You and Derek could just find somewhere else to go for a while, since it's bothering you two…" she teased.

"Morgan was just as against it as I was because neither of us wants anyone else to see you two dancing naked…" Reid scowled a little. "And you agreed to modify the ritual specifically for us prudes…" he stated, happy that his brother had backed him up when Derek heard what Scarlett and Penelope were planning to do at the edge of the lake.

Scarlett giggled. "Yes, I did. I'll keep my word, pretty boy. I'll keep my clothes on…"

"Uh-huh," he nipped at her jaw, turning slightly so he could capture her mouth under his kiss. "At least until later, when we are in our own room…"

"Mommy- we're making s'mores…" Norie danced over to the side of the hammock, swinging a bag of marshmallows. "Are you guys going to help?" she asked.

Scarlett looked below to the lower deck and the fire pit, where Will was starting a small flame. "I think I'll just rest some more, baby girl. You and Henry go ahead with Uncle Will and Aunt JJ," she told her.

"Okay… if you want one though, I can run one back up for you and dad when it's done… I'm really great at browning the marshmallows just right," she smiled.

"Sounds great," Reid grinned, his sweet tooth always hollow. "I'll take two…" he told her. "Bring one for mom, too. If she doesn't eat it, I will," he said, chuckling when Scarlett poked his stomach.

"I don't know how you manage to stay so skinny," she teased. "You eat so many sweets; I swear sugar is your blood type."

"Probably," he agreed. Norie started back towards the stairs and he called out to her as he thought of something.

"Nors- bring me Uncle Will's guitar…" he asked, sitting up a little straighter, pointing to the side railing of the deck.

Noreen grabbed the instrument, handing it to her father.

"Are you going to play?" she asked.

"I don't know how… but Mom does. I've never heard you play," Spencer turned to Scarlett, handing her the guitar.

Norie heard Henry calling for her. "I'll bring you back your s'mores," she said as she headed down the steps.

Scarlett looked up at Reid, shaking her head a bit. "I told you, I don't play well. I can only copy what I've seen…"

Spencer pulled out his phone, nudging her. "I don't play the piano well, but I still played for you," he reminded her. "Just play me something, so I can keep it…"

Scarlett sighed. "You will owe me another piano set…" she told him.

Reid grinned. "I promise. Whatever song you pick, I'll learn… but you play me one first."

"Learn 'Skinny Love'," she told him. "So I can sing it while you play," she smirked when he blushed as she brought up that song, getting the reaction she'd hoped for…

"Fine, uh, right…" he saw the teasing light in her eyes as he thought about the video she'd recorded when she'd sang that song for him. And what was beyond the camera's view.

"Brings back good memories, boy?" she asked, plucking a few strings as she still sat alongside him.

"Stop," he chided her, shaking his head. He nudged her. "Stand over there, I want to record you."

Scarlett pulled up out of the hammock, rolling her eyes.

"Fiiine," she wrinkled her nose at him. She adjusted the hat on her head, blocking the setting sun from her face.

Reid grinned smugly, happy to get his way. He held up the phone, capturing her in the view of the screen.

"And… You going to do that same one?" he asked as she heard the tone sound that he'd started the recording. "Which one are you going to do?" he ran the questions together…

Scarlett scrunched up her nose, uncomfortable with being in front of the camera. "Yeah…"

"'Kay," he gave her a slight grin, seeing her nervousness. "Whenever you're ready, go for it," he told her, sitting back against the hammock.

Scarlett sighed again, lowering her eyes, trying to ignore him as she set her fingers on the chords that she remembered watching played in a video.

She met Spencer's eyes briefly as she began to sing, and he saw a blush creep up on her cheeks. She averted her gaze, starting to sing softly as she picked through the chords.

 _I thought I saw your face,  
at the end of the alley…  
it was dark but somewhat pretty  
just like everything I see-  
except you were there glowing,  
and your body was floating  
off the ground…_

 _Thought I'd come running,  
try to catch you while I can,  
but I've never seen such beauty -  
and I stood there paralyzed…_

 _I swear I saw an angel  
but I was too weak to come close  
blinded by its glow and  
before I knew it faded… out._

Spencer watched the sadness move over her face as she sang the next lyrics. He felt a lump move into his throat.

 _But I'm still looking for my father  
so I cannot have a lover now  
I'm still looking for my father  
so I cannot have a lover now…_

 _I'm still looking for my father  
so I cannot have a lover now…  
I'm still looking for my father  
so I cannot have a lover now.  
_

 _so come to me Angel  
and I swear I'll make a move  
it's way too dark out here…  
and I need your glow to glow-  
I need your glow to glow…_

 _so get out of here darkness  
and I'll make room for the light-_

 _I'll make room for the light._

 _'Cause I've been alone too long,  
been alone too long,  
too long_

 _I've been along too long  
I've been alone too long  
too long_

 _I've been along too long  
I've been alone too long  
too long too long_

 _I've been alone too long too long_

 _so come to me angel...  
I heard it's bright out there  
just don't know how to get there  
but I'm only here to learn-  
I'm only here to learn…_

 _So be my, precious guide…_

Scarlett opened her eyes, looking over at Reid, giving him a shy smile, walking out of the angle of the camera.

Spencer swallowed against the lump in his throat, unable to speak for a moment. He stopped the camera, putting his phone back into his pocket.

"I, uh- I never heard you sing that one before," he stammered a bit. "That was, just…"

He couldn't find the words…

"Emotional," he said finally.

"Mmmhmm," Scarlett agreed softly, "It's called 'I've Been Alone too Long' by Soko. Her songs are very meaningful. And her voice is hauntingly beautiful," she said, giving a little shrug. She set the guitar down against the rail once again, stepping closer to him.

Spencer reached for her hand, tugging her forward so she was standing between his knees. When he looked up at her, she ran her fingers through his hair, brushing it back from his face.

"My sweet angel," she breathed out, studying his eyes.

He shook his head. "I'm no angel, Katy," he frowned slightly. "I don't…"

She pressed her finger over his lips, stopping his words.

"You are, to me," she told him. "You are everything to me, my lover. You brought me out of the darkness, from the moment I met you."

Her eyes went unfocused for a moment as she thought back to that first time she met Spencer. All the despair she felt, the emptiness in her soul, came rushing back to her. She'd been only steps away from killing herself, wanting desperately to end the pain of the emptiness… and then there he was, telling her to hold on, that it gets better…

"I followed your light, Spencer. That saved me. I wouldn't have today without you…You are _my_ angel…" she whispered.

Replacing her finger with her lips, she kissed him, showing him what she felt.

Spencer groaned; the sound catching in his throat. He felt her kiss sear into his blood, the light touch of her fingers along his throat burned his skin, lighting a fire through him…

He jumped away from her touch when he heard Norie come running back up the stairs.

Scarlett moved quickly, sitting across his lap to block the evidence of his need.

She heard him whimper slightly, smothering his voice in her back.

"Shh," she whispered, leaning back against him. "She's bringing you back your s'mores, sweetie…"

Spencer cleared his throat, pressing his face in between her shoulder blades.

"Please, stop wiggling," he pulled her tighter in his lap.

"Mmm, sorry boy…" she bit back a smile. "Natural reaction," she chuckled throatily.

"Ah, Christ," he squeezed her hips, the sound of her laugh fueling the need that fired in his veins.

Norie ran up to them, dropped the s'mores off with Scarlett and turned and ran back down the stairs.

"Gotta make mine now!" she said as she kept running, not even taking notice of Reid's discomfort.

Scarlett felt him relax slightly and huff out a breath. Reid started naming all the bones in the human body, attempting to distract himself from his wayward thoughts...

"Really?" she looked back at him in disbelief with his choice...

"What's this bone called?" she raised a brow at him, pressing herself back against him again.

She laughed at the comical look that moved across his face.

"Arrgh… stop, please…" he begged.

"Sorry," she giggled. "I just had to… you made it too easy…"

Spencer met her kiss, but pulled back a bit. "Mercy," he breathed out the word. "Next thing you know my mom will come around the corner…" he cringed at the thought.

Scarlett grinned, kissing him once more before sliding over to his side.

"Later?" she asked, meeting his heated gaze.

"Later, definitely…" he promised, dropping another kiss across her lips.


	41. Chapter 41

Chapter 41

Scarlett stood in front of the woodpile, looking out at the moonlight reflecting on the lake. She heard Spencer step up behind her, his hands moving around her waist as he pulled her back against his chest.

"Are Penny and Derek coming?" she asked, reaching up to touch his face.

"Right behind me," he said, rubbing his cheek against her hair.

"You smell good," he said, tucking his nose into her neck and breathing in her scent. "Patchouli?"

"Mmm-hmm, and sandalwood… Clarifying oils to help me center my spirit," she told him.

Scarlett bent over picking up a pouch at her feet.

"Are you ready, sweet sister?" she asked when she sensed Penelope come up to where they stood.

Penny nodded. "Tell me if I do anything wrong, okay?" she said as she followed Scarlett towards the bonfire.

Spencer could smell the same scented oils as Garcia passed by him. Derek stopped at his side.

"What are we supposed to do?" he asked Reid.

"Stay outside of the circle, save any questions until after Katy closes it, and just watch," he grinned.

"You can't do anything wrong," Scarlett was saying to Penelope. "We are just giving thanks and celebrating our blessings with love…"

She looked over at the guys. "And I would rather if you stayed _inside_ the circle, in this case. If you don't mind?" she asked them.

"You are ours, so it would mean more…" she said quietly. Unused to sharing her rituals with others, Scarlett blushed slightly.

Spencer nodded and stepped forward. Morgan looked from Scarlett over to Penelope.

"Okay," he said. "I'm in…"

Garcia smiled, taking his hand.

Scarlett lit the bottom of the woodpile, setting the kindling to start to burn. Once it took hold, she drew a circle around them in the sand, dragging a long stick behind her.

Meeting back at their side, she took out an apple from her pouch, cutting it lengthwise across the middle, showing them the pentagram that was inside it, around the seeds.

"Everything in life has a root in the old ways and it's all a part of the circle, never ending, always complete."

She threw half into the fire, cutting the other half into four quarters and handing a piece to each of them. She ate her slice.

"We accept our place in the universe, knowing we are only a small part of it, with each of our light as a piece of the greater one, the One by all names, which binds us all to each other."

Scarlett opened the pouch, spreading different herbs into the flames. She held open the bag to Penny.

"Brightest blessings on this day and all days," Penny said her part and added her offering.

"We honor the old ways, keep their spirits within us, celebrating the connection, respecting that we would not be here today without them…"

She put in more herbs, sprinkling them to the other side of the fire. Again Penelope repeated the action.

"From merry meet to merry part, we hold each other within our heart," Penny recited.

"We honor the light and the dark today during the time when they are equal. We respect the fact that we must all work to keep the balance within us…"

Scarlett spread some more, walking around the circle.

Penelope added her third part.

"What you send out comes back to thee, always bide the rule of three…"

"And finally, we honor the love, within us, around us, and through us. The love of the God of all for blessings given, we ask for the continued blessing of Love."

"Blessed be…" Garcia added her last part, standing at Scarlett's side.

Spencer took Scarlett's hand, looking into her eyes, asking a silent question.

She inclined her head towards him, then to the fire.

"Go ahead, sweet boy. You can't send out an offering in a wrong way, as long as you have good intentions and your meaning is pure. Say what you want…" she told him, allowing him to put his own part into the ritual, instead of the one she'd planned to close out with...

He took a pinch of the dried herbs from her bag, moving to stand at the fifth point in the circle, completing the pentagram that she had started while she'd placed the offerings.

Scarlett raised a brow, but shouldn't have been surprised that he'd noticed the pattern she'd been creating...

"In offering of those who stood here before us, a part of our paths, that they may smile with us, sharing in our lives as they will, knowing that we remember and honor them…" he said as he dropped in the herbs.

Scarlett felt a small sob move into her throat, knowing that he did this for John…

Penny wrapped an arm around her, pulling her close.

"As we will, so mote it be…" Garcia stated softly, hugging her sister.

"So mote it be," Scarlett repeated, wiping at her eyes. She returned Penelope's hug, embraced Derek, and then moved into Spencer's arms.

Moving to the edge of the circle, she whispered some words to close the circle, and tugged his hand towards the beach, staying within the light of the bonfire.

"Now we get to dance," she smiled up at him, pulling him into her arms.

Penny punched some buttons into her phone, using it to control the Bluetooth speakers that fed throughout the house. She chose the ones that were set up for the lower patio and selected some songs from her playlist for the queue.

"Come Away with Me" by Nora Jones played through the air.

 _Come away with me in the night_  
 _Come away with me_  
 _And I will write you a song_

 _Come away with me on a bus_  
 _Come away where they can't tempt us_  
 _With their lies_

 _I want to walk with you_  
 _On a cloudy day_  
 _In fields where the yellow grass grows knee-high_  
 _So won't you try to come_

 _Come away with me and we'll kiss_  
 _On a mountaintop_  
 _Come away with me_  
 _And I'll never stop loving you_

 _And I want to wake up with the rain_  
 _Falling on a tin roof_  
 _While I'm safe there in your arms_  
 _So all I ask is for you_  
 _To come away with me in the night_  
 _Come away with me_

Garcia leaned into Morgan's arms, starting to dance with him to the tune.

Spencer pulled Scarlett closer, listening as she sang along with the lyrics.

He looked up to the stairs when he heard footsteps…

"Is this a private party, or can we crash it," Will asked, holding JJ in his arms.

Scarlett grinned over at her friends. "I was hoping you'd get a chance to join us," she said.

"Only because your mom offered to watch the kids," JJ smiled. "Henry doesn't want to go to sleep yet."

"Too many s'mores," Will grinned. "He's on a sugar high…"

Spencer shook his head. "There's no such thing," he told them. "The body processes the sugar in the same…" he stopped talking when he heard Scarlett chuckle.

"You weren't being literal," he said, looking at Will.

"No. Not really," Will grinned.

"But it's good to know- if it was a thing, you'd be in a danger zone," Scarlett teased, poking Reid in the ribs. "I saw you eat about five of them…"

"I think it was more like eight," Derek added. "He grabbed some more while you were getting your herbs ready…"

"Narc," Spencer taunted. Derek raised a brow at him.

Penelope turned up the music to interrupt the beginning argument.

"Good song," Scarlett said, taking Reid by the hand, dancing a few steps along with the music.

Spencer grinned, spinning her around under his arm as 'Everything You Are' by Ed Sheeran sounded over the beach. He started singing along with the words…

 _I didn't mean to break your heart  
I was just lonely  
And everybody falls apart sometimes  
I know you've found another one  
But won't you just hold me tonight_

Reid spun Scarlett out and she moved away from him, dancing around Penelope and then JJ. The girls moved to the inside of the circle that the guys created as they gathered around them.

 _I wish I never called you up_  
 _Nobody told me_  
 _And they don't know we don't speak anymore_  
 _So take a good look at us_  
 _Won't you just hold me tonight_

Penelope laughed as Morgan moved before her, tilting the hat he was wearing forward a little, giving her a roguish grin and pulling her into his arms once again. Will took JJ by the hand, lifting his arm so she could spin underneath it, tucking her back against his chest.

 _And I will stop trying to fall in love again_  
 _And keep it a secret_  
 _It never works out, anyway_  
 _But I am not, anything like I was_  
 _'Cause you were the only one for me_  
 _Yeah, yeah_

Spencer took Scarlett's hands, placing their palms together, moving to the beat. Scarlett laughed as he moved towards her, taking her hat from her head and placing it on his own.

"Cute look, Reid," JJ teased him.

He only grinned, pulling Scarlett close once again and burying his face against her hair. She felt him inhale deeply, pressing a kiss to the crown of her head then moving so he faced her again as he continued to mime the words.

Scarlett watched him, a smile covering her face, as he played around…

 _'Cause maybe I don't wanna lose a lover and friend in one night  
If that's alright  
I shouldn't have fucked with your mind  
And your life too many times  
Or maybe I don't wanna be lonely  
Darling, you are my only love  
Behind my truth lies everything you want_

 _I never meant to sleep around_  
 _I was just lonely_  
 _You did the same, again and again and again_  
 _I know_  
 _So here's to the both of us_  
 _Here's to our story tonight_

 _Oh I will stop trying to fall in love again_  
 _And keep it a secret_  
 _It never works out, anyway_  
 _But I am not, anything like I was_  
 _'Cause you were the only one for me_  
 _Yeah_

 _'Cause maybe I don't wanna lose a lover and friend in one night_  
 _If that's alright_  
 _I shouldn't have fucked with your mind_  
 _And your life too many times_  
 _Or maybe I don't wanna be lonely_  
 _Darling, you are my only love_  
 _Behind my truth lies everything you want_

Will dipped JJ, pulling her back up and placing a light kiss to her brow.

Spencer caught Scarlett's eyes, holding her close as he sang the next lyrics to her…

He touched her cheeks, gently running his thumbs over her jawline.

 _When I see my future  
It is with you  
We'll get there  
I want my children to be with you  
We'll get there  
_

He grinned at her as the music changed again; spinning her under his arm, then back to his chest. Scarlett reached up, stealing a kiss from him.

 _'Cause maybe I don't wanna lose a lover and friend in one night  
If that's alright  
I shouldn't have fucked with your mind  
And your life too many times  
Or maybe I don't wanna be lonely  
Darling, you are my only love_

 _Behind my truth lies everything you want  
Behind my truth lies everything you want_

 _Behind my truth lies everything you are…_

Will shook his head as he watched Spencer laughing and goofing around.

"If you would have told me a little over a year and a half ago that Reid would have changed so much in this short amount of time, I probably wouldn't have believed you," he said to JJ quietly.

"Mmm. I don't think Spence would have believed it either- sometimes I think he doesn't even believe it now…" JJ grinned as she looked over at her friend.

She saw Reid spin Scarlett under his arm, pulling her back to his chest and holding her close against his heart. He pressed his lips over hers reverently, ignoring the fact he was surrounded by other people, forgetting his own inherent shyness.

"They bring out the best in each other…" JJ smiled softly, charmed by Spencer's actions.

"Can't ask for anything better than that…" Will said, smiling down at his wife, grabbing a quick kiss of his own. JJ wrapped her arms around her husband's neck, letting him lead her over alongside Scarlett and Spencer.

"I should have recorded you guys dancing together," JJ teased them when they got closer.

Spencer looked down into Scarlett's slightly unfocused gaze and kissed her.

"We already are…" he grinned as he held her tight, locking in the sights and sounds with all his senses, capturing the memory into his mind forever.

* * *

Hello readers!

Thank you all so very much for continuing to follow along with the Scarlett series, and my interpretation of Spencer Reid's life with his soul mate. I appreciate so very much the reviews, the discussions, and the opportunity to hear your opinions and thoughts along with wonderful suggestions for songs!

I have started to write the next installment… So keep your eyes open for "Watching Scarlett"… (Teaser: Motherhood and hormonal changes can be a challenge for anyone, but even more so for those of us with anxiety and depressive disorders, [not to mention PTSD] so let's find out together how Scarlett manages, and how Spencer helps her…)

I am interested in hearing what the readers may want to see, so if you have any ideas or suggestions, even if it's for a case or prompt, feel free to PM me and I'll be sure to credit you with any I may use.

Also, feel free to offer me any song/artist suggestions… As you can tell, music is one of my biggest muses. Check out my YouTube page under LadyBJKD for the playlist for the Scarlett Series. It includes songs mentioned within the series and others that will be used in the future.

If any of the readers would have any Reid fanvids to suggest or have the ability to put one together as a trailer that fits for Scarlett and Spencer's story (I don't, I wish I did!) I'd love to see it and promote it!

Thank you all again for your reviews and support, and for the thoughts and prayers! My family and I are all doing well… and I can't thank each of you enough for your support. Please know I hold you all dear to my heart and send out as much love and light to each of you in return… Blessed be!

Love to you all!

Brightest blessings!

~Becky

LadyBJKD


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